Cold Waters Run Deep
by Alpha Centauri
Summary: What seemed like a simple mission to save Hinamori goes wrong when Hitsugaya is bound to a promise he can't break. Now as time grows short before the imminence of war, he finds himself fighting for not only his life but the very definition of his death.
1. Scene 1

**A.C.:** Merry Christmas everyone! A plot bunny hit me and it's been hard lately to write anything at all so... I decided to try and freshen up with a new ficlet. _This is so going to bite me in the ass later..._

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, and slight BL-ness (that you can avoid by skipping the first few italicized paragraphs in the next... three... four chapters)

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A crumpled bit of paper was sent rolling across the wooden desk. With an amused grin, the captain of the 3rd division Ichimaru Gin looked at the younger captain standing across the desk. The 3rd division's blonde lieutenant felt the tense atmosphere and almost immediately excused himself with an armful of paperwork and exited the room scattering pieces of post-its left and right. 

Still, the two captains waged their silent war, waiting for the one to break the silence first. And quietly, Gin's hand moved to unfold the rolled up paper and smoothed it out across the desk.

It was a hastily drawn message lining out the trial and the possible execution of Momo Hinamori. The date for the trial was tomorrow, underlined and written in wide strokes. In mock surprise, Gin lifted his eyebrows, cracking his eyes widely enough for Hitsugaya to peer into the bloody redness of Gin's eyes.

"'M afraid I can't help ya there 'Gaya. She ain't got no solid alibi, she's as good as guilty."

The taunting tone of the pale haired captain frustrated him, but Hitsugaya bit his lips and spat out,

"I know you can stop this, you're the only one who can! Hinamori wouldn't have done this, you know she wouldn't have. She practically worships the ground Aizen walks on!!"

"That's not for me to decide ya know."

The atmosphere dropped about ten degrees but Gin waved it off, rolling his shoulders nonchalantly before picking up the letter. The younger captain's green eyes followed every move of the long fingers as they began to roll up the paper and with it, his hopes of liberating his childhood friend from her certain fate.

Hitsugaya stepped back a foot and knelt down on his knees.

"Please Ichimaru-taichou... I beg of you."

Gin's fox-like grin widened further. The white-haired prodigy only heard the scrape of wood on floor as the taller captain stood up and walked towards his side. Almost as if appraising a prized stallion at a market, he circled twice and set a hand on top of Toushiro's head. The emerald eyed teen flinched and closed his eyes in response.

"Desperate to save her aren't ya 'Gaya?" Gin knelt down next to him, grabbing his chin and forcing his face up to greet his own. Their face was eerily close now and for a second Hitsugaya wished that he had brought Rangiku alongside him, then dismissed the idea for he did not want anyone to see him as he was right now.

Gin cocked his head left and right, "and ya know I ain't gonna do it for free."

Hitsugaya was quiet as if contemplating his vulnerable position. When he finally answered, it wasn't the rash and hot-headed persona he had entered the room with. It was cool collected; it belied the strength of the youngest captain ever on Gotei 13.

"What do you want Ichimaru-taichou?"

Gin quietly wrapped his fingers around the dusky skinned throat of the young captain and held him close.

"I want ya to swear that what happens in this room stays here..."

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"Byakuya-taichou!"

Izuru Kira immediately stood up from his position on the floor and bowed, smiling sheepishly as the black haired captain's brow rose at the sight of paperwork scattered all across the floor. With the speed that would have put the shunpo-goddess Yoruichi to shame, Kira immediately gathered up all the reports in his arm. Again, Byakuya said nothing to this and proceeded to the door leading up to the 3rd division's main office. He was about to place his hand on the doorknob when Kira, blocked the door using his body and the stack of paperwork in his arms.

"Ah... Ichimaru-taichou's kind of busy right now, may I take a message?" Byakuya looked apathetically at the blonde lieutenant. He was about to politely request that he get out of the way when a voice called out from behind the door,

"That you Izuru?"

Kira nearly fainted in relief at the sound of his captain's voice. Byakuya merely pushed the faint-legged lieutenant away from the door and entered the office.

At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until you noticed the blushing captain of the 10th division, standing beside Gin's desk. The dark haired captain took all this astride, promptly depositing a thin file on top of the desk. Gin stared up lazily,

"It's a report of when your division's Nakada Saburo called for my division's assistance in a hollow attack."

Gin's mouth parted in a distinct 'ah' and immediately signed the report without looking at it. Both Byakuya and Hitsugaya grimaced at how carelessly the pale haired captain handled the report.

"Anything else?"

"No," Byakuya took back the report. "Toushiro, care to walk me out?" at this Gin's grin faded slightly, but neither Hitsugaya nor Byakuya missed the sharp glint in his eyes as he cracked his eyes open.

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"Thank you Byakuya-taichou."

The nobleman merely replied with a solemn gaze. They slowly continued their walk towards 6th division building when they stopped. Hitsugaya looked up inquiringly at the taller captain, slightly wearied look in his green eyes.

Byakuya Kuchiki sighed patiently as he undid the scarf around his neck. In the same movement he loosely wrapped it around Toushiro's neck, making sure that the ends would not drag behind him. The familiar redness crept up on the pale haired teen's face.

"Byakuya-taichou, I couldn't possibly...!"

But the other captain had already turned away, pausing only briefly to run his hand though the silver hair.

"You may return it to me later but it seems now, you have the greater need."

"Thank you Byakuya-taichou."

The captain nodded briefly to acknowledge this and disappeared into the 6th division building. Hitsugaya stood there slightly dazed, touching the silken material worth more than anything he'd ever owned in life. The scarf brushed gently against his neck and his face reddened further in shame.

He couldn't go back to the 10th division now. He couldn't bare the thought of facing Matsumoto. Gritting his teeth, he whirled around, wincing at the lance of pain shooting through his body at the sudden action. When he finally assumed some control over his shaking legs, he began to run towards the direction of the 13th division.

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**A.C.: **-coughs- ehh so... what do you think so far? Comments? Questions? ...Flames? 


	2. Scene 2

**A.C.:** -Hands out chocolate- yeah, generic, boring... it'll speed up in a few chapters I promise ;D

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, and general BL-ness.

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_Hitsugaya stared at the scrap of paper in front of him. Gin leered, handing him a worn brush. The skin-on-skin contact made the shorter captain squirm and nearly made him breathe out in relief as he withdrew his hand to look at the writing._

"_Might as well make it official ne 'Gaya?"_

_Suspicious, the captain of the 10th division rolled the dripping brush in his hands before swiftly making corrections to the document and neatly signing his consent at the bottom. The boy swallowed as he handed the brush back. Gin frowned slightly at the changes made but quickly rolled the paper up and tucked it into his black kimono._

_Hitsugaya shivered as the long fingers caressed the side of his face, drawing him nearer to the 3rd division's fox-like captain. Gin ran his red stained tongue up the air around Toushiro's neck provocatively, eliciting a small squeak as a trail of goose bumps followed up the dusky neckline. The green-eyed captain shuddered as he repressed the urge to show disgust. He simply closed his eyes, aware of Gin's penetrating red gaze on his face as a cold hand dipped below the collarbone. _

_A sudden hand jerked his chin up and he was surprised to feel a searing kiss trace his lips before the other captain bit down on the lower lip, drawing blood. Stray droplets fell and stained the white haori as Hitsugaya stared, almost frozen. _

"_I wanna see yer eyes..." Gin purred, lapping up the blood with his tongue almost like a cat. Hitsugaya squirmed slightly, his stomach performing flip-flops while his mind screamed at him to stay still because it might be the only way to save Hinamori. And Hitsugaya's eyes glowed green as he stared into contrasting red, almost hypnotized as the protective cover of his haori fell away from him and dropped unceremoniously on to the floor. _

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His walk towards the 13th diversion seemed longer than he remembered it was. With each step sending a jolt of pain through his insides, he had to stop and take a break every five minutes. Cursing a certain pale captain, Hitsugaya continued on, unconsciously rearranging the scarf around his neck so that it provided better cover for his neck and the flecks of red dotting his haori.

He was glad he didn't run into anyone he knew, though his vice-captain's drinking buddy greeted him respectfully as he hurriedly passed by. Shame burned his face though he didn't exactly know why, he saved Hinamori didn't he? And it was worth it, every minute of it. He wasn't aware that his fingers had dug deeply into palms, carving crescent grooves that twinged painfully as he leaned against the outer walls of the 13th division.

He didn't know exactly why he was here, but 13th division meant Ukitake and Ukitake meant comfort no matter how much he loathed to admit. Hobbling the next few steps, he straightened up once the current 3rd seats of the 13th division appeared in view.

"Hitsugaya-taichou!" Kiyone Kotetsu immediately gave a respectful bow and Sentaro Kotsubaki immediately followed not wanting to be beat. The two officers had a puzzled look upon their faces as to why they had not sensed the young captain's reiatsu. Hitsugaya was in no mood to elaborate and asked promptly,

"Is Ukitake-taichou available?" they both nodded and stood there, a little confused before Sentaro announced loudly,

"I will tell him that you're here Hitsugaya-taichou!" and jumped off towards the building. Kiyone, torn between the duty of leading the 10th division captain towards the office and trying to get one up on her fellow 3rd seat, decided that the white haired captain could fend for himself with the dark vibe he was giving off and scampered off to catch up with Sentarou.

Hitsugaya sighed, wondering how the sickly captain dealt with the dynamic duo and entered the 13th division building.

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Once seated before the smiling captain (who, in spite of the fact that he had been ill for the past few days seemed to be overjoyed at his visit) Hitsugaya found himself at a loss as to what to do. Captain Ukitake called for refreshments (again the two 3rd seats were at each other's throats) and in a spur of the moment action, the younger captain produced a package of tea that was originally fated to restock his own cabinet. Blushing furiously Hitsugaya stammered out,

"I heard that you were sick Ukitake-taichou so..." The prodigy did not have to explain further, the long haired captain seemed pleasantly surprised and began to thank him. He immediately called for Kiyone (he would have to make it up to Sentaro later) who began to crow about how her competency earned her the rights to boil tea. Hitsugaya began to relax despite himself as Ukitake began to cheerfully relate to the happenings of his diversion while slipping in few generic questions about his health and division. When the tea arrived (along with an assortment of traditional cookies from a determined Sentaro) Ukitake again thanked Hitsugaya for the fine tea.

"How's Hinamori-chan?" Hitsugaya nibbled on the side of a cookie before setting it down back on the plate. He contemplated on how much to tell the white-haired captain and decided that he wouldn't lie to him, not after the generous hospitality he had received him with. He would just leave out a few details.

"She's alright, considering..."

It was surprising that Hinamori was more distraught over Captain Aizen's death than her own approaching one. It was almost as if, despite her protests of innocence, she was willing to die for her captain in the place of his murderer. It disturbed him more than he had realized. Ukitake watched sympathetically as Hitsugaya talked in a low tone, explaining the overall situation and her current state.

"...not to mention Kuchiki Rukia's trial."

"Ah," said Ukitake, a dark look passed his face almost as if something had been made clear to him. "It's unusual isn't it?" the older captain took a long sip from his cup. "Her trial has been moved up and no one truly knows what she did."

"Is it true that her sentence is to be death by soukyoku?" Ukitake nodded and they both fell into silence, unsure of as what to make of the new developments in Soul Society. "I should get going, thank you for your time Ukitake-taichou." The other captain merely shook his head in a sad smile, eyes traveling up the length of the pristine scarf.

"It is I who should be thanking you Toushiro-kun." And to this Hitsugaya made a face, "not many visit me these days, too many days of being sick I suppose." Ukitake gave a half-hearted laughter. "You'll take care won't you Toushiro?" the green-eyed teen gave a short nod, slightly touched that the older captain care so much for him. "That's a nice scarf isn't it?" Hitsgaya nodded again in reply, this time slowly, uncertain.

And Ukitake let out a small frustrated sigh as the two squabbling 3rd seats led the 10th division's captain out the door. The sliding door behind him opened and Shunsui Kyoraku sat down beside him, taking out a bottle of sake.

"A little distracted wouldn't you say?"

"More than a little distracted." Agreed Ukitake, reaching for another cookie. "It is certainly odd that he didn't notice you, and I've never felt his reiatsu fluctuate this much." Shunsui nodded, taking a large swig of his sake then looking down the mouth to the bottom. Shrugging, he reached for another bottle hidden inside his uniform. "I wonder if it's because of Hinamori-chan's trial..."

"The girl's innocent, she'll be alright."

"The way they're going about Kuchiki Rukia's trial, I think they might actually be serious enough to sentence her to execution." Mused Ukitake, pouring another cup of tea into his cup.

"Nonsense, the Seiretei needs more pretty girls like Hinamori-chan. They couldn't possibly execute her." And already, there were three empty bottles laid out in front of Shunsui like polished trophies. Ukitake stood up with a determined look on his face.

"I know how to cheer Shiro-chan up."

And Shunsui sat there for the rest of the afternoon, watching his best friend scurry about as he downed his sake bottles one by one, or at least until his vice-captain bodily dragged him out the door.

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**Vixen-Ra** – Thank you. Heh, I never really notice the lack of Gin x Hitsuness, you can usually go to other countries' websites and find a ton of it. But yeah, I notice that American fandom really doesn't have much material. Pity I think... 

**Hassun **– Glad you thought they were in character :) it's kind of hard to get Gin's accent right though. X.x


	3. Scene 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach, wish I did but I don't.

**A.C.: **Thank you for all your reviews!

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness.

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_Casual contacts within seirentei was common. Faced with the possibility of death every waking moment, shinigami usually hooked up with one another to prevent emotional baggage. Hitsugaya too was guilty of blow jobs in between breaks in a cramped space somewhere, never really knowing who his next partner was. The cool touch of skin on his reddening one was nothing new, but this time it was invasive and unwanted. This time it wasn't for him. _

_Hitsugaya let out a protesting whimper as his black kimono was pulled downwards revealing the curves of his shoulders as he faced away ashamed. Ichimaru Gin let out a sound that might have been a laughter but he never found out because the next moment the taller captain's mouth was on his nipple sucking and teasing harshly as the long fingers began to part the black material further and further downwards. _

"_Un..."_

_His kimono bunched around his waist as Gin continued his ministrations on the other nipple, hands sashaying lower until it reached the obi. For a few terse moments Gin teased with his hands, his mouth moving on to other bits of the snowy captain's flesh. Then with a wicked smile, he pulled the obi off, finally exposing Hitsugaya fully into the air._

_Hitsugaya gave a half-hearted kick as Gin's lips finally left in a trail of saliva. The 3rd division's captain merely grinned deviously as he drank the sight of Hitsugaya's flushed face and half-lidded green eyes. He knew then that he would have to take the teen... no matter what the cost._

_Fingering the slack jaws as one might do to a wrapped present before opening it, Gin asked softly,_

"_Tell me 'Gaya, this yer first time? Be still an' I'll make it sweet... enough..."_

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As soon as Hitsugaya stepped into the 10th division building, he knew something was wrong. Matsumoto stood in front of the door leading to the bathroom, her uniform smelling like it had been left in a vat of sake before being worn.

"Ah Taichou!" Matsumoto Rangiku scratched her head nervously as her captain stared her down with a deadpan look, his eyes silently asking her to get out of the doorway. "Aha... did you need something?" deciding that he didn't have the strength to play games today Hitsugaya decided to cut to the chase. Before his buxom lieutenant could open her mouth again he interrupted,

"I don't know what you did but you will fix it and clean it up before I get back, am I clear?"

Matsumoto gave a mock salute, obviously pleased to get away with such a light sentencing. Discreetly, she closed the bathroom door with her foot, preventing her captain from getting a glimpse of what she had done to the bathtub.

Muttering, Hitsugaya dug around his desk for a free onsen coupon. If he was lucky, there would be no one at the bath house this early in the day. There would be even less in the captains & lieutenants' section of the springs. Though he loathed the idea of other people staring at his body at the moment, the stickiness between his thighs was overwhelming and he felt like he desperately needed a bath.

"Have a nice bath Taichou." Shooting his blonde lieutenant a short glare, he left the building, not hearing Matsumoto's sudden exclamation of an demonstration he had later in the day.

Rangiku frowned, going back into the bathroom. In the tub was some invention Ikkaku and Renji had brought in, something called 'sake brewer'. They had originally brought it in to her division because a) Ikkaku's was still recovering from what they dubbed 'the coffee incident', b) Kuchiki-taichou would murder Renji when he found out that he had hauled in such 'atrocity' into his division. So really it only left her to take on the noble duty of mass producing sake for the good of Seireitei. If only her captain wasn't so tight-assed...

She frowned, her eyebrows gathering in the middle of her forehead. He wasn't angry so it meant that Gin didn't reject him outright, but that didn't mean that the meeting went well either. And was he wearing a scarf, when he came in? It was sunny today and he absolutely hated heat. She pouted, checking the tub to see if anything had gone wrong. The sake fogged her mind letting little details slip past her fingers. She should have really gone with him this morning...

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Hitsugaya stood in front of the locker, carefully putting away his uniform (making sure that Kuchiki-taichou's scarf was hidden from view) when he suddenly stopped. Swallowing, he took a deep breath and went on. When he was finished putting way his things, he wrapped a towel around his waist and one around his neck. Seeing nothing amiss he went into the soak room.**(1)**

For once in his lifetime he was thankful for the heat. It was simply too foggy for anything to be seen clearly unless it was quite near. He quickly washed himself off, taking some time on his legs before scurrying away to the furthest corner of the hot tub.

Normally he would have gone for the cold tub but today had been anything but normal. He needed the heat, the pain, he needed to feel that he was actually washing away the blood and grit and who-knows-what else on his skin without the cold trying to soothe him.

Hyourinmaru was silent in his mind, not even stirring when the young captain gave to dragon a mind-poke. Accepting that Hyourinmaru might still be upset, Hitsugaya sat in the corner brooding.

"Hey who are you?" Abarai Renji swam over towards him squinting. The redhead didn't recognize the white-haired captain with the usual spikes held limply past his shoulders. "This is the captains and lieutenants' section. I don't recognize you..." he turned around, the red strands almost hitting Hitsugaya across the face. "Oy Kira, did the 13th division replace their lieutenant?" 13th division was the only one without a lieutenant, Hitsugaya remembered, and he attempted to get away before the slim blonde could take a good look at him.

"Renji!" Kira hissed, trying to pull the redhead away. "That's Hitsugaya-taichou!"

"No way!" Renji exclaimed, pulling his arm free of Kira's grip. "That's shorty?" by now, everyone had turned to look at the general area from which the noise was coming from. They couldn't see past the fog except the faint outlines of three in the corner, but Renji's voice was loud and they heard enough.

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou to you Abarai." Hitsugaya snarled, standing up and attempting to get away before more people decided to come and investigate. The green eyes narrowed and glared when the 5th division's redhead lieutenant did not budge from his spot in the water.

"Huh... you used to be shorter." Hitsugaya dropped his head and growled as Kira sucked in a deep breath as if he had been punched. Renji was obviously inhibited, his breath giving off the same scent that Rangiku's clothing had been giving off... wait what the hell had they done to his bathroom? Renji mimed his hand in the generic height of the green-eyed captain before comparing it with his own. A grin appeared on the redhead's face. "Hey, you come up to my chest now." Before Hitsugaya could answer that with a fist in Renji's face, Ikkaku came tripping into the water, his skin now red as a lobster's though no one could say if it was because of the alcohol he had consumed or hot water.

"What's the captain doing in the hot tub?" the bald man slurred, near fainting and drowning in the hot tub if it hadn't been for Kira's quick reflex. The blonde looked lost, his eyes were wide and already guilt was tiding over the blue. Trying to spare the blonde lieutenant, Hitsugaya inched his way towards the rim of the tub, stopping when Renji's arm shot behind his right ear.

"Renji!" Kira's voice was high and panicked. The panic was infectious and Hitsugay's heart fluttered, his blood humming in his ears. But it also stirred something inside of him, a protective instinct, an urge to protect and be protected, an urge to attack.

"Alright there Kira?"

_::Call on me...::_

Someone called from outside the protective barrier of the fog, both physical and mental. Renji was close, too close, foreheads rubbing together as the black eyes closed sleepily,

**_::Call on me...::_**

"Live a little taichou." A wiff of his breath sour with alcohol, sharp in contrast to the scentless heat that had been on his neck. The towel on his neck slipped and for a moment Renji's focus was aimed elsewhere when the glass doors of the soak room opened to admit the buxom lieutenant of the 10th division. Most men let out a shrill squeak before dunking themselves underwater. Others groaned out 'Rangiku...!' and a few other things to which the blonde hotly replied 'come on, you haven't got anything I **_haven't_** seen so far.'.

Sensing her captains slightly spiking reiatsu, she made her way to the edge of the hot tub and called out.

"Taichou! You forgot that you had a demonstration planned at 3!!"

Thanking whatever deity that was listening for small miracles, Hitsugaya ducked under Renji's outstretched arm and climbed out of the tub. Kira, relieved, dragged the faint-legged Ikkaku out. Renji swam towards where Hitsugaya was berating Rangiku about coming into the men's section.

"Aww Ran-chan, we were just having fun..." but promptly stopped when Rangiku leveled him with a frigid glare.

"...and why did I agree to spar with Zaraki-taichou as a demonstration to the 11th division...?"

"Because you guys all take turns sparring him? Now come on, you're going to be late."

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He was surprised to see so many people gathered in one spot. Amongst the black body of 11th division's shinigami, he saw here and there white patches of haori. Few captains such as 2nd division's Soifon, 12th division's Mayuri were few of the spectators in the crowd. Spotting Kuchiki Byakuya's kenseikan, he quickly gave the solemn captain a quick nod before handing the white scarf back to him. His neck was red from too long of a soak in the hot tub, and his limp hair would be enough to provide a cover. Kuchiki-taichou gave a curt nod in return, still staring at him with his apathetic gray eyes.

People turned to stare at him, unused to seeing his hair down, unused to seeing the child prodigy growing up right before their eyes. As custom, Kenpachi and Hitsugaya bowed towards one another as the last of the stragglers came to watch. Ikkaku had finally sobered up enough to come, Kira and Renji following. Renji gave Hitsugaya a half-knowing look before joining his captain at the outskirts of the crowd.

Seirentei has been so busy with Kuchiki Rukia's coming trial, Aizen's death and the arrest of Hinamori Momo. Many had come just to shed the weight on their minds, to see what the gotei 13's captains had to say for themselves. He saw the here-and-gone flicker of lavender-silver at the corner of his eyes and reminded himself that Hinamori will be saved, now if he could only save himself.

The referee is Yumichika assisted by the pink haired lieutenant Yachiru. The two captains drew their zanpakuto and when Yumichika gave the signal, they began.

Hitsugaya's movements were fluid, more like an intricate dance compared to Kenpachi's own. He moved like the wind or perhaps a snowflake carried by one and no one could doubt that he was a captain in his own right, second to none. After all it was Hyouinmaru that drew first blood, not the nameless blade that tore his sleeve.

Hitsugaya stared tersely as their clothing settled down, Kenpachi grinned cocking his head back and forth.

"Continue."

Few feints and blocks later Hitsugaya realized that this wouldn't end prettily. There was a reason why no one wanted to spar with Zaraki in demonstrations like these. A reason that resulted in multiple rounds of rock-paper-scissors while they figured out who would fight him when. He just had been lucky by being short for a while and had been ignored as Yachiru's playmate. Now that he was just a little taller he had been noticed.

His arm strained as he blocked a chop to his head. He breathed heavily, fine tremors going though his body. He needed to rest; he needed to put space between him and the 11th division's captain. He needed a plan dammit.

The dragon stirred in his mind unworried and calm. Hitsugaya wished that he could be just as calm when Zaraki Taichou caught him by his hair and threw him down on the floor. The sword came down, its long blade burying itself in the ground almost to the midpoint before stopping. It would have impaled the white haired captain had he not scrambled out of the way. But the blood has already been spilt, Zaraki's zanpakuto finally coming alive with the taste of Hitsugaya's blood. Hitsugaya's eyes were wide but out of focus. His left arm was pinned down by the sleeve where the nameless zanpakuto had gone through and glazed the skin. It isn't much but it's enough to send his blood speckling the air in a trail of fine mist as the 11th division's captain leered down at him.

_And the scarred face was close so close with the fine details of webbed and scabbed, healed over white flesh stretching over the tanned skin along with that maniac smile. The eye color is wrong, it's black not red, but he can't help but see the yellow teeth and the foul smile and he remembers the last time he was pinned down somewhere, he can't forget that the curtain of hair falling across his face was a shade darker than his own._

**_::Call on me...::_**

He hears everyone's hushed breathing, their eyes demanding, piercing and almost accusing. His heart beats slower with every beat and everything just seems to slow down as if time had been thrown down the drain. He hears everyone's heartbeat, he hears his own, he hears Zaraki's, he hears...

He hears...

And he listens

_::Toushiro...::_

Kenpachi tastes fear, his nameless zanpakuto agrees as the ruby droplets fly upwards looking like feathers on broken wing. The boy's eyes are wide and he is quiet, he is like the snow falling in a torrid landscape without shelter, so gentle and bitter in all its softness. Kenpachi knows no fear, he lacks common sense and perhaps sanity but he knows danger. And he sees it in the boy's eyes... no... the dragon's...

**_::NOW!::_**

"_Sit upon the frozen heavens..."_ The boy's eyes were cold, colorless, almost as if someone had held a pin to the irises and drained it of its vibrant color. His blood had frozen, binding in rough crimson arcs as they tore through the skin in a poor imitation of wings. They held Zaraki's nameless zapankuto in place as the ice climbed slowly up the taller captain's arm. _"Hyourinmaru."_

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**(1)- **A bathhouse, just in case you don't know what it is, is divided into two... three sections. One section is basically the locker room where you put away your clothing and stuff, and where you sleep and eat and drink before going in the tub. Second section is a steam room... or not depending on what kind it is. I personally love the ice room, I think Shiro-chan would love it too ;D. Finally the third section is where you do all the soaking and wash yourself off. The tub temperatures vary from freezing cold to... really hot. And that's your... regular mediocre bathhouse. Fine, fourth section would be the bathroom.

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**A.C.:** I'm so mean to Gaya... How was it? Love it? Hate it? Leave a review and let me know k?

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**izzy283-** who knows ;D 

**Vixen-Ra**- yes, update, please?

**rapunzel-chan-** -shrugs- Japan and Korea has a lot of stuff. I think that Japan leans more towards Ichigo x Hitsugaya though. Korea just likes Gin x Hitsu better for some reason. But yeah, try Japan and Korea. Or any other Asian country for that matter.


	4. Scene 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. Whatever you read here is a work of my twisted, sadistic imagination.

**A.C.: **My first week back in school and it already has me wanting to strangle myself. We're on the fifth floor so suicide should be a peace of cake... my neck's killing me D:

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness.

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_**::Call on me:: **an insistent prodding woke him from his personal stupor and back into a nightmare. He felt the dragon's frigid gaze in his mind, silently watching, weighing. **::You can't do this Toushiro, call on me:: **and shame, hot, withering, nothing but shame washed over him like heat coursing through his body. _

**::Call on me::**

'_NO!' and stars burst into his vision in an explosion of black and white. Goosebumps puckered his flesh where his skin met the unyielding wooden desk. He felt Ichimaru's cold hand holding him down by the throat as the other hand was left free to wander. He looked up at the man, his eyes dull and mouth slightly a slack. It would be so easy for the taller captain to kill him right there and then if he wished. Gin smiled as if he had been thinking the same thing. The corners of his mouth grew sharper as they curled upwards and began to whisper quietly against his ear._

"_I wonder if Hinamori-kun will thank ya after this 'Gaya." Hitsugaya stiffened, then relaxed. Gin was trying to goad him into a reaction... and it was working. Gin's hands shamelessly dipped under, cupping the firm buttocks and giving them a quick squeeze before lifting them off his desk. Instinctively, Hitsugaya's legs closed but the 3rd division's captain gently pried them apart with the expertise of someone who had done this many, many times before. "Will ya scream fer me 'Gaya?" a finger traced the shallow dip of the spine with a nail. "Momo-chan did when she was with Aizen..."_

_-_

_-_

"_Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru."_

_He could hear the dragon smiling in his mind, radiating approval. The earlier's events pushed aside but nor forgotten, Hyourinmaru's immense energy tided against all others as Hitsugaya finally called upon the lord of ice._

Most of the more powerful Shinigami felt the warnings in their bones, the swift chill that slammed against their own reiatsu before splintering into pieces. For those shell-shocked by the sheer force of the initial release, they had no warnings to base their actions on. But for all its worth none of them were prepared when the sheet of ice covered the entire training grounds like a flower of snow in full bloom.

It was almost like magic. Magic how the snow and ice bloomed like a living thing, magic how the boy was able to swing his right arm like a pendulum so that the dragon would be birthed from the tip like a line of ink from a brush. Magic how the dragon flew forth with its jaw lined with freshly molded teeth, determined to carve out his stomach. But there was no magic, only action, blood and survival. Zaraki only had a moment to break free of the crimson ice to hold his wrist in a defense position as the dragon snapped angrily at him. The frozen muzzle pressed against his scarred chest as the head closed around the battered blade. Zaraki gave a sneer before thrusting the sword forward and slicing the apparition in two.

But the boy was no longer in front of him, completely at ease in this strange landscape granted by ice and water. Zaraki smirked, things were getting interesting.

The red ice was trailing behind Hitsugaya's left arm like a perverted version of the wings gifted by Hyourinmaru's final release. Its crimson coloring came from the flow of blood it stopped, the flow of blood it was birthed from. But it was too soft to be used as an effective armor and its flaw laid in the fact that its bulkiness threw off Hitsugaya's balance. Zaraki grinned and aimed a feint at the disabled left side. When 10th division's captain brought one of the crescent blades down to block him, Zaraki pivoted and caught him in the right shoulder. The nameless zanpakuto was dull, but with Zaraki's almost limitless reiatsu, it was able to cut through anything that might stand in its way. The sword plunged into the snow haired captain's shoulder, breaking the collarbone and lodging itself deep somewhere between the first and the second rib. Hitsugaya spat blood as the blade tore his lung and immediately a tower of crystallized blood rose from the wound, rejecting the foreign metal out of his body and keeping it held in the ice. Blood spewed forth from his mouth and nostrils but he was smiling, his eyes strange and pale.

"Finish him." The second crescent and chain encircled around the tall captain's neck. In a split second, the ice formed around his neck and face blocking his breathing as it traveled downwards. But when Hitsugaya tried to deliver the finishing blow, 11th division's Yumichika stopped them, breaking his captain out of his icy prison and catching Hitsugaya as he swayed on his feet.

"Yumichika...!" Captain Zaraki growled, upset that his little duel with Hitsugaya had been disturbed.

"Sorry captain but..." the snow covered young man pointed towards the back. Shinigami were in various state of being frozen and a certain pink-haired lieutenant was frolicking in between them all, having never seen so much snow within the walls of Seireitei. In fact, it was snowing right now. Hyourinmaru's initial release had created ripples within the air currents, creating weather patterns previously unseen by most. Zaraki noticed that his fifth seat too was shivering from the cold; the white haired captain beside him looked tense as he peeled himself off of the warm body. There was underlying fear within the green eyes as he used his zanpakuto as a make-shift cane. When the last of the 11th division broke out of their places on ice, he decided to call it a day. Zaraki sheathed his zanpakuto and turned to where Yachiru was scrambling over others, determined to not to miss a single snowflake. He rubbed his flayed neck and decided the boy wasn't half bad; it made him want to fight him again in an actual duel to see what he was capable of with final release.

"Ehh captain??" Ikkaku had caught the slightly pensive look on his captain's face.

"The brat was scared."

Yumichika began to order all the seated officers back to their divisions. Zaraki looked around and saw the slim form of Soifon as she left the snow covered area, Byakuya as he dusted the snow off his scarf, Renji as he began to wring out the water from his hair, Rangiku as she began to tug her captain towards the 4th division.

Ikkaku shrugged,

"But he wasn't scared of me." And it annoyed him. If the brat was fighting him, the least he could do was keep his mind on the battle and not let it stray everywhere else. Zaraki spat at the ground, "He wasn't fuckin' scared of me at all."

-

-

"Captain!" as soon as the narcissistic 5th seat had left his side, his face was buried in warm and soft... immediately he pushed her away, blushing furiously as he eyed the bane of his existence. "Why captain..." started Matsumoto, greatly amused by his reaction. "If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you actually liked them." She winked still holding onto his smaller form as he swayed on his feet. "You haven't done that since you grew past the eye level with them."

Yes, he thought sourly. It did help from getting his face shoved in her cleavage every time he turned around, but it didn't stop them from suffocating him when Matsumoto thought it was a brilliant idea to lean over him nor did it prevent his neck from getting stuck in between them instead. He turned and saw that she was worried, her forehead creased with her two eyebrows meeting in the middle. He couldn't exactly wipe away the blood he left on her breasts so he scowled, letting her know in his own way that he would be alright. Matsumoto pouted when she saw what she dubbed as the 'ungrateful' look. She gently pushed at his back, turning him around towards the direction where the fourth division lay. "Captain, we should get you to the fourth division."

He nodded, almost absent mindedly, thinking about how the blood looked on the cream of Rangiku's throat. He didn't notice the silent stares the top seats of the fifth division was giving him, nor did he see the fox-like grin of Ichimaru Gin as he lazily dusted off his ice coated haori.

-

-

Unohana Retsu frowned as she assessed the damage. She saw as clear as day that the ice had torn through the skin and multiple vessels rather than glaze over the outside as it normally should. It was now clinging onto bits of dead or dying flesh, hanging off the arm and shoulder like a misshapen cape. She melted most of it off without much trouble but stopped when she got close to the torn flesh, manually prodding the skin with her fingers as she manipulated the affected areas back to life.

Her shadow was taller than his as they sat upon a sterile bed, back against the window with the setting sun centered in the middle. But her reiatsu was different from most, different than Captain Ukitake, Captain Kuchiki, Captain Soifon, Captain Zaraki or Captain Ichimaru. Hers radiated of acidic protectiveness that –he thought- something his mother might have had. He relaxed into the soothing green touch as the fingers rubbed into the threading flesh, sighing in an almost disappointment as the treatment ended.

"I wish you wouldn't use this move." She said reproachfully as she got up. "It might be useful for stopping blood flow but it inflicts greater damage in the long run."

'_It wasn't me...'_

There was a barely noticeable stretch of raw pink where the cuts had originally been. He no longer tasted the metallic taste of blood in his mouth and his breathing was no longer blocked by his bleeding lung. He groped at his shoulder, looking for an edge of rough, evidence that he had fought Zaraki and came out relatively in one piece. There was nothing except flakes of dried blood. As he rose to stand, a firm hand stopped him.

"Not yet." There was a tingling in his body, not unlike having all his skin exposed under the warm sun. It was a cleansing experience that made him feel as though events in the afternoon were nothing but a series of nightmares. "You should have known better to spar with Zaraki-taichou in this condition." He froze as her hand skirted over his neckline. At Hitsugaya's wide-eyed look she added disapprovingly, "Do not worry Hitsugaya-taichou, this is strictly confidential between you and I unless it threatens your life or your ability to lead."

Hitsugaya kept silent as she left, keeping his thoughts to himself as Matsumoto walked into the ward.

What if it _was_ threatening him?

-

-

"I don't see why you're choosing to speak for her; it would be a mercy killing if she dies." The brunette took the strands of white from the other captain's hands. Ice-like reiatsu jumped in from the seemingly harmless hairs, he closed his hand over them and smiled grimly.

Gin waved his hand, leering as Aizen tucked the strands into his kimono.

"Gotcha what ya wanted didn' I?"

Aizen pushed his glasses up as he leaned on the blood stained walls of Central 46 Chambers. The light reflected off the non-prescription lenses and carefully hid Aizen's eye from view.

"You know Gin, I asked you to retrieve samples not..."

"...Fuck 'Gaya? Jealous?" Gin snickered impertinently, Aizen wisely ignored him.

"Just be careful... we don't want anyone to interrupt what we're about to do."

-

-

"Are you sure there's a hollow around here?" Hisagi Shuuhei asked dubiously as they pushed through the foliage. It was hard to believe that a hollow had made it into Soul Society never mind to get as far as the outskirts of Rukongai. His foot sank into the lightly layered ground with a crunching sound. Even this far out, the afternoon's demonstration had effected the weather. If this was only the initial release, what would the final release be like?

Kira let out a miserable sound, his breath dissipating in the air in the form of white smoke. He kept slipping over the hidden ice patches as they went on looking for the so-called hollow one of their subordinates had reported.

"Nakada Saburo reported hollow activity around here somewhere. He was patrolling the area when he felt its energy somewhere near..."

"Saburo is an idiot, that's why he's one of the 19th seats." Hisagi sighed, running his hand through his hair. "This is a waste of time; Saburo could have seen a rabbit and thought that he saw a hollow. And he does that... all the time."

Kira shrugged helplessly in response,

"There was that one time when he _did_ report an actual hollow."

'So did a dozen others' Hisagi wanted to reply, but bit his tongue and began to twist his head around to try and see beyond the line of trees. There was nothing except the sound of a waterfall nearby, nothing to indicate that a rogue hollow was running loose in the Soul Society.

Kira abruptly stopped chattering his teeth.

"Hey look."

They turned in synchronization, feeling the heat darken their faces as the 10th division's captain went into the colder waters. Hitsugaya had claimed the area, too skittish after the afternoon's events to even think about going back to the bathhouse. He was complete naked save for Hyouinmaru's green sash around his wrapped around his thin wrist, his uniform in a neat pile on a rock beside him. They both knew that they should be turning away, or at least let the captain know that they were there. But as the small of his back disappeared beneath the frigid waters of the waterfall so did there thoughts, and their original purpose of being there.

Hitsugaya's normally tan skin looked like cream and ivory in the moonlight, more so framed against the droplets of icy waters. With his white hair and green eyes, the 10th division's captain looked like an apparition of snow, lord of the winter in his physical form. The temperatures that would have left even the hardiest members of the 11th division sneezing for a day and a half Hitsugaya welcomed, enjoying the silence as his shoulders began to relax.

Kira did his best to look away, curiosity getting the better of him all the time. Beside him, Hisagi didn't even seem to be hiding his obvious interest in the young captain. The 9th division's lieutenant's blush seemed to be permanently painted on as Hitsugaya waded through water muttering a few words to his zanpakuto every once in a while.

"They say that Hitsugaya-taichou is lucky for having Rangiku-san as a lieutenant," Hisagi said absentmindedly as he continued staring at the white haired captain. "If you think about it, Rangiku-san is the lucky one."

Kira was about to answer when the rock beside them trembled. Slowly the duo turned their heads and began to slowly back away from the pulsing stone. Feeling the odd vibes, Hitsugaya looked around and saw the two shinigami there. Swearing as he overcame his initial embarrassment and saw the source of the energy, Hitsugaya swam towards his pile of clothing when the hollow struck. Like a diving whale, the hollow kicked off with its powerful legs, jumping clear of the foliage dotting the river's edge and landing in the water with a terrific splash. The green-eyed captain barely snagged the snow-white haori from the pile of clothing before he had to dodge the hollow's claws. Hisagi and Kira immediately ran into the water to help, knowing that the sudden explosion of reiatsu in the area would be enough of an alarm for others to follow if needed to be.

"No you idiots! Don't come in the water!" the unsheathed zanpakuto shone brightly; almost an electric blue as the hollow pressed its enormous talons against it, the nails already fizzling as the purifying effects of the spirit sword began to take effect. The two lieutenants stopped, confused. Hitsugaya went under the churning water and foam, Kira's startled gasp barely audible through the hollow's frenzied roars. Suddenly realizing what was about to happen, Hisagi began to drag the 3rd division's lieutenant towards the shore. Hitsugaya burst out of the water just as Kira's feet left the river. "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Even before he finished the incarnation the waters froze, different layers splintering into each other as the effects began to work from up to down. A dragon circling the Gotei 13's youngest captain turned its head and attacked the stuck hollow. Hitsugaya landed gracefully on the ice, the chain and blades already wrapped around the hollow's limbs as Hyourinmaru made a short work of the bone-like mask.

Snow began falling again but no wind this time, almost as if Hyourinmaru was at peace and Hitsugaya was too. It wasn't as cold this time nor as hungry. The winter air gently passed over them in greetings as delicate flakes filled the air and began to join their brethren on the ground.

The haori fanned around his hips and upper thighs like an indecent skirt as he turned, just barely managing to cover the unmentionables before revealing marble like legs and feet. The green sash was wrapped around his waist in a makeshift obi, more to preserve his modesty since the two other shinigami were there. He opened his mouth to speak when a grating sound split through the air. Hitsugaya looked at his hand, where his zanpakuto had fractured down to the very hilt. The sound had come from the crazed metal, shattering before dissipating into the air. The blade broke off and disintegrated, his reiatsu pitching madly enough for the two lieutenants to realize this was serious. The remaining metal piece closest to the hilt shone a pale blue, almost as if to reassure the boy-captain that it would be alright. Then it disappeared, leaving only the hilt in Hitsugaya's hands.

* * *

-

-

* * *

**Omake-ish:** Types of shinigami confessions (wtf?) 

I couldn't resist, saw this on the net. If it sounds weird, it's because I suck at translating ;) have fun.

-

**Kurosaki Ichigo**- angry type

"You _#)$&!&#)#$ _idiot!! Don't you get it?!! I like you!!"

**Abarai Renji**- stuttering type

"_-Blush-_ Ok so it's like this... uhh you know... I mean... shit... I mean... aww man...

**Kuchiki Byakuya**- persuasive type(?)

"-_Looks away blushing-_ I believe you need me. I will await your answer."

**Ichimaru Gin**- player type

"Ya just looked at me didn't ya. I saw it all, ya like me don't ya?"

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**- honest type

"-_Blush_- I get worried if you're not by my side alright? So... stay by my side!"

-

-Runs before getting shot-


	5. Scene 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. Whatever you read here is a work of my twisted, sadistic imagination and too many dot-to-dots.

**A.C.: **Ehh haven't seen Hitsugaya in a while (manga) dammit! Give us Hitsugaya!! This is more of a filler chapter... again... I didn't mean to write it this long... the rating? If you skip the italicized parts... I don't think it's even enough to make a T most of the time... well maybe... so yeah, I'm making it a T, not like the citric parts will last much longer anyways (sad)

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, you guys rock x3

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

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_**-**_

* * *

_His outraged roar was muffled by a pale hand as a searing heat thrust into him in one swift stroke. He bit into the warm flesh viciously; eyes flashing brilliantly green as he drew blood. He stared into Gin's crimson eyes, coppery tang of blood flooding mouth with its foul flavor. He felt the pale haired captain rock inside him once, twice, before starting on a steady rhythm that began to beat pained grunts out of his blood-smeared lips. _

_Gin didn't seem to mind at all that Hitsugaya was biting; it would keep him silent throughout their little business. He nearly moaned in ecstasy as Hitsugaya finally let go of his hands to release a strangled sob. The body beginning to struggle weakly as Gin reveled in the pleasure of claiming 10th division's captain as his own. Trail of kisses traced his eyelid, perhaps it was just the wicked tongue that had just reached the adjoining point of his ear and his head. Hitsugaya began to bite again and this time Gin didn't let it go unpunished. He nipped sharply at his shoulders and neck, thoroughly enjoying the pained flinches that jerked through the small body._

_Hitsugaya didn't remember anything after that point, if there was an after. He remembered Gin's darker hair mixing with his lighter ones as the older captain slumped over satiably watching Hitsugaya's reddened face through his half-lidded eyes. At one point Gin's hand brushed his hair away and whispered something against his cheeks. Then he met the cold floor and pain made itself known to him as Gin began to dress, gleefully smiling while watching his prone form through the corner of his red eyes. _

_Hitsugaya quickly followed suit, pain claiming his all-too young body as he fumbled with his clothing. Gin helped him with his obi, an action too intimate for Hitsugaya to have partaken without getting angry. There were voices outside, Kira's slightly anxious high ones next to monotonous ones of the 6th division's captain. Gin sat down on his chair with a satisfied smile, Hitsugaya retreated to the corner and the door slowly opened..._

-

-

He felt his stomach fall when he saw the last of the metal melt into the cold air. The glacial presence in his mind was also gone, replaced by an aching emptiness he could not dispel. He couldn't help but feel a sense of abandonment as he walked through the empty landscape, calling out for his best friend. Swallowing, he turned towards the two lieutenants with a shudder, the diamond patterned hilt of Hyourinmaru still clenched tightly in his hands. Unable to find anything to say, Hisagi spoke up quietly

"Captain?"

It was like a bucket of cold water being poured down his collar. Just because Hyourinmaru was gone couldn't mean that he could just abandon his duties as a captain. If the gentle blue glow had been anything to go by, Hyourinmaru would come back within time. Slightly reassured, Hitsugaya breathed deeply and looked imperiously at the fidgeting lieutenants.

"An adjuchas-level hollow..." Hitsugaya pronounced slowly, looking over the brass colored guard at the end of the hilt. "What's it doing this far in Soul Society?" Kira could have nearly fainted in relief seeing that the white-haired captain was not about to go to pieces. Still, worried that the 10th division's captain was taking this all too well, Kira answered submissively not meeting Hitsugaya's eyes.

"19th seat Nakada Saburo reported strange energy patterns in this area this evening. He thought it was a hollow but we weren't sure since there had been no confirmed sightings. We came to check it out but as you saw..." the blonde gestured helplessly at the frozen waterfall.

Hitsugaya nodded, cutting Kira short. The hollow had cleverly disguised itself as a large boulder, giving off enough energy to put a shinigami on edge but not enough to be detected. But it had made so far in to the heart of Soul Society. Adjuchas-level or not, Hitsugaya didn't think that the hollow would have been either smart or strong enough to make it this far without additional help. He snapped his head up, did that mean there were others laying low in wait?

"Are there any more?" a stupid question, especially since the two lieutenants hadn't known about the hollow's presence any more than he had. Hitsugaya frowned, eyebrows furrowing into the middle. He should have been able to feel the two lieutenant's reiatsu no matter how beaten down and tired he had been. But that meant that the hollow had some device of disrupting their senses. Kira looked edgy as he looked around, hand on hilt in case another decided to attack. The white haired captain closed his eyes and held his breath; he could feel the two lieutenants radiating worry. If he extended himself further, he could feel the life force of Rukongai citizens going about their daily businesses. He opened his eyes.

"If there are, I don't think it will attack us Hitsugaya-taichou." Hisagi looked confident –though the confidence waned as he continued- in his explanation as he sought Hitsugaya's eyes. "The hollow could have easily taken us by surprise but it didn't. Only when you went deeper into the water did it attack. It wasn't looking for just anyone captain, it was looking for you." The thought was disturbing on so many levels. If Kira's grip tightened anymore, he would break the hilt of his zanpakuto.

"I think we should get out of here Hitsugaya-taichou," said Kira nervously. "You are... disarmed right now; if there are more than two or three we won't be able to protect you." Hitsugaya nodded in agreement, he knew it would be foolish for them to stay and attempt to exterminate any hollows by themselves. He gathered up the rest of his ruined clothing, hastily putting them on as best as he could when the lieutenants' backs were turned. When he was ready, he said

"Let's go."

-

-

"Captain!" Matsumoto exclaimed in surprise when Kira and Hisagi accompanied the young captain into the 10th division building. Here and there, heads popped out into the hallway curious of all the commotion at the door. When Hitsugaya swept his cold gaze over them all, they turned tail and slammed their doors. Of course, it had no effect on his lieutenant as she began to drag him into the office talking rapidly. "I thought something went wrong when it began snowing again but the couch was sooo comfortable...!" Hitsugaya scowled at this blatant disrespect for his orders, "I thought you went outside for a walk!" to this Rangiku threw a quick, accusing glare at her coworkers before throwing the doors open. The two lieutenants sheepishly followed their raging colleague, wincing as Hitsugaya was pushed in the shower room with a spare black kimono.

"Matsumoto...!" an ominous yell came from the other side of the bathroom door.

"I cleaned it up just like you said captain," said Matusmoto blithely as she held the door closed from the outside. "You just have a good soak and I'll let you out when **I'm** ready." And she did just that, locking the door with a foreboding click as she rounded on to the two males in front of her.

The two immediately fell to their knees under the hostile kill-aura Rangiku was producing. Kira began to repeatedly bow in apology while Hisagi kept his forehead pressed to the wooden floor and prayed to whatever deity that was listening to deliver them out of this hell.

"Now," Matsumoto tossed her hair as she leaned on the door behind her. This time they couldn't even appreciate the effects of looking up at her enormous assets. "What happened?"

-

-

In the bathroom, Hitsugaya sat in the tub –still clothed- as he gloomily looked at Hyourinmaru's pale blue hilt. The emptiness was still there but the aching had subsided somewhat when new ice began to form across the stretch of tundra. The young captain sighed heavily, pressing his temple against cool tiled wall as his eyes closed halfway. He began to meditate, searching for the last strings of the bond when the contact between him and Hyourinmaru was severed.

-

-

Rangiku was upset and Kira had a pretty good idea why. His captain had been too smug today for comfort and the blonde lieutenant had not even bothered to press the slacker for paperwork. Kira winced as he remembered the earlier episode; it would have entirely been his fault if Captain Hitsugaya had been maimed out there by the hollow. He could have gone against his captain somehow, even if the green eyed captain had done it willingly.

"Well?" the strawberry blonde arched her eyebrows threateningly. While other red-blooded male might have thought 'sexy' Kira and Hisagi were thinking 'doom', 'death' and 'torture'. The feeling only intensified when Matsumoto repeated, "What happened out there?"

"Che, his zanpakuto broke, that's what happened."

"Renji?!"

Abarai Renji walked in, taking note of the door behind the buxom blonde as he did so. His zanpakuto was in his hands, in its sealed form but out and ready just in case he needed it. Matsumoto frowned at the redhead lieutenant, her eyes slowly darkening with comprehension.

"Hyourinmaru's broken."

"Shattered," Renji confirmed, the four lieutenants exchanging matching grim expressions. "I was watching him like you told me to and you know how... err..." he suddenly blushed, sensing that this was not the time or place, and began to hurry through the last part as Matsumoto's face began to darken angrily. "Ah err... suddenly the boulder beside Kira and Hisagi-sempai turned into this hollow that began to attack shorty."

"You said it was beside Kira and Hisagi,"

Renji shrugged and turned towards the two other lieutenants for information.

"A kido move that disguises your reiatsu? I've never been good at kido."

Hisagi shook his head,

"It was the hollow; it disrupted our senses creating a ripple in which it could hide in."

"But it didn't attack you." Matsumoto pressed,

"No, it was looking for Hitsugaya-taichou."

"But why?"

-

-

It was cold and beautiful in its serene fatality. The snow coated the landscape much like how nitrogen comprised almost seventy percent of the air he breathed in. It was beautiful in its cruelty, a world of white offering no protection for the weak that dared to venture there.

"Hyourinmaru..." Hitsugaya pressed his hand against the dragon's muzzle, feeling the chill pass through his fingers. He brought his other hand over the magnificently sculpted head, gently caressing the enormous jaw. Hyourinmaru lifted his ridged spines, shaking off layers of half-formed ice as he pressed his great head against Hitsugaya's torso. The boy ran his hand over the frozen scales uncertainly, kneeling down when Hyorinmaru lifted one of his enormous coils to wrap protectively around Toushiro's lean form. Hitsugaya breathed in contentment, resting his forehead against the dragon's face.

::I apologize, I have worried you.::

He smiled shakily as the dragon breathed into his hair, icy tongue tasting his scent as he sat still. One of the talons had curled around him in a half circle; Hitsugaya leaned against the frozen appendage silently looking into the dragon's enormous eyes.

"Yeah, care to tell me what's going on?"

::...I have not been called upon in a long time and I had not been ready... you have grown strong Toushiro, much stronger than I had initially expected.::

Hitsugaya somehow didn't believe that. Hyourinmaru was the strongest of the ice and water families, powers almost parallel to that of 1st division's Ryuujin Jakka. But he accepted the explanation without giving it much thought, the euphoria of being reunited with his zanpakuto numbing his frazzled senses.

"And this from the zanpakuto that had been railing at me to let him out the entire day..." Hyorinmaru woofed lightly, a flurry of snow peppering Hitsugaya's face as he continued "I thought..." Hitsugaya started hesitantly, "I thought you left me. It felt so... empty." Was it just his imagination? Or had the ring of ice really tightened around him? He felt Hyourinmaru's mind bubble around his protectively just like when they were about to go into battle. The dragon let out a low humming noise at the back of his throat,

::I would never leave you. I chose you Toushiro and I will stand by my choices.::

Hitsugaya laughed sadly,

"I wish I could..."

::You should have called upon me, I would have helped you. I cannot help you if you do not call my name Toushiro.::

"I don't need your help in those things." And he didn't, really. He shouldn't have to drag others into his private life. He didn't want fingers pointed at him for being the youngest; he wanted to be acknowledged as a captain. He didn't need help, really.

If only Hyourinmaru wasn't always right.

::You are a mere babe compared to all others. You cannot expect to do what others can.::

"I'm not a child,"

::Worse, you are a fool.:: When Hitsugaya didn't reply Hyourinmaru continued steadily ::I have chosen you Toushiro, I have chosen you for a reason. I cannot tell you what that reason is unless you call on me. Call my name if you need me Toushiro, I will always be there for you.::

Hitsugaya blushed, burying his face against the frosted curves of the dragon's head.

"You're an idiot, don't make promises you can't keep."

One last embrace before parting,

::Do you doubt my strength Toushiro?::

"Never."

The dragon's rumbling laughter was lost to the winds as snow swept across the landscape. Everything disintegrated under the blizzard, lands parting with the ice and sky falling in a steely rainbow. He woke up from his self-imposed stupor, slightly stunned with the barest whispers of the fading mist echoing in his ears.

_::I will return to you soon... You'll know when the time comes... be careful Toushiro... even dragons have enemies...::_

Dumbly he turned off the freezing showerhead –wondering when he turned it on- his skin pale and stretched tightly over his slim frame. He climbed out of the ceramic tub –shedding and leaving the torn kimono in there- and looked at himself in the mirror, so wide-eyed, innocent white and not really him.

An odd memory surfaced in his mind; of a man in black kimono, a dark haired woman, a girl... _love, death, honor, fear, blood, and pain, pain, pain, pain, pain..._

He scowled, instantly erasing the image of the ghostly child that had been his reflection only moments before. The mirror mimicked his move, creases appearing on his forehead as he put on the spare kimono and tied the obi around his waist.

It was quiet on the other side of the door, it wasn't likely that Rangiku was still there but he figured it wouldn't hurt to get her to open the door. Of course he could always break the doorknob but he didn't quite like the idea of writing up on another report on how various items in his division managed to get vandalized.

"Taichou?" a quiet knock came from the other end.

"I'm dressed." His voice split and he could hear a small giggle from the other end. He scowled, blushing furiously as the doorknob turned to reveal his smug-faced lieutenant. "Not a word." He hissed grabbing his zanpakuto sheath and walking past her.

"Aww captain..."

"You can have the next two days off." Matsumoto nodded gleefully _–too gleefully_, and somehow Hitsugaya managed not to grit his teeth as he walked into his office.

"Captain," the three lieutenants waiting for him –he did a double take at the sight of Abarai Renji- stood up to attention and greeted him. One looked apprehensive, one looked speculative, and the last had an unreadable expression on his face. With a demure murmur of thanks he sent them all away, turning to perhaps the only stable constant in his life.

The paperwork he had assigned to Matsumoto earlier in the day.

-

-

"Captain," Rangiku held his right hand, her fingers already prying the worn brush out his palms. "You're tired, paperwork can wait."

"Not with you it can't." Hitsugaya replied and immediately winced at how scathing that had sounded. He didn't mean to be so rude but Matsumoto had already brushed it off in a way only Matsumoto could.

"Oh I'm sure since Hinamori's going to return soon the fifth division can do without us."

Hinamori...

Hinamori...

Hinamori...

If Gin... No he** will**... kept his end of the deal; she would be free of all blames.

Holding onto that thought like a lifeline he said quietly,

"Matsumoto... Hyourinmaru shattered..."

The blonde nodded, as if she had been waiting for him to say that. Of course, Kira and Hisagi must have spilled their guts once she had that look about her. At the risk of being cliché –hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"I know captain, but you're going to bring him back aren't you?"

Hitsugaya looked at her in surprise, then smiled slowly.

"Thanks Matsumoto,"

The lieutenant grinned,

"My pleasure captain."

He pulled Hyourinmaru's hilt out of the sheath, Matsumoto's blue eyes growing wide in amazement. At the end of the four-pointed guard was a translucent blade made of ice. It didn't melt when Hitsugaya checked its balance in his hands or when he gently stroked the flat-side of the sword before sheathing it.

It wasn't Hyourinmaru but it was a promise.

A promise that everything would be alright

-

-

And it had been done. Gin had done his part artlessly in between shooting Hitsugaya leery grins. The evidences had been more than enough to clear Hinamori of all blame. It was enough to let her go without additional guards assigned to her to monitor her behavior for the following weeks.

As Hitsugaya breathed in relief Captain Yammamoto spoke up suddenly,

"And why... Ichimaru Gin, would you speak up for Hinamori-kun?" everyone looked at the bearded captain in surprise. "What do you have to gain from this?" if Ichimaru had felt any surprise to the questions he never showed it. He merely grinned impudently, eyes unreadable under the fluttering lids. "I see..." Yammamoto spoke softly, "very well then, Hinamori is cleared of all accusations, she is free to go." He gave one knowing nod in Hitsugaya's direction "congratulations Hitsugaya-kun."

-

-

"Dun see why yer so particular on savin' her." Gin said lightly as he appeared beside Gotei 13's youngest captain. Hitsugaya hurried away that much faster towards the holding cells but he was no match for Ichimaru Gin's longer strides.

"Hinamori's my friend, I care for her."

"But does she care fer ya 'Gaya?" Hitsugaya stiffened and bit his lips to stop an angry retort. If he answered, he would only be confirming Gin's question-statement and fostering the blacker seed in his heart. Grinning knowingly, Gin patted the snowy hair in almost a paternal fashion, ruined by the fingernail leaving a faint red streak down the side of Hitsugaya's neck.

Almost as if telling him a secret Gin held a cupped hand to his mouth and whispered loudly,

"She cares fer ya 'Gaya, but she cares fer him more."

The temperature dropped by several degrees. Gin shivered, his teeth showing more than usual as he waved his hands in an attempt to mollify the shorter captain.

"Maa maa, it wasn' my intention to anger ya 'Gaya." As the 10th division's captain walked away Gin opened his eyes, the bloody rubies shining brightly in the midday sun. "Be careful, I'm not the one ya have to watch out fer." Hitsugaya's eyes widened and turned around. But Gin had already disappeared, seemingly into thin air. He hissed slowly as his mind processed the cryptic message the 3rd division's captain had left for him. It was true that he was weak now, but who would dare try to threaten him? Wishing he had Hyourinmaru back, he walked on, never noticing his reflection in the water... changed... as he turned past a corner.

But someone else did.

-

-

"Hinamori," Hitsugaya breathed, relieved at the sight of his sister-friend as she was released from the influence of the binding kido spell. Her eyes were puffy and sunken with the nights of endless tears. She attempted to hide her face as she was brought up to the blinding sun, hanging her head in shame as Hitsugaya came forward to touch her face. "Let's go Hinamori." The brown eyed girl sniffled but nodded. Finally looking up to smile shakily at those around her, she wiped her tears with the back of her hands. Hitsugaya took her hand into his own, his fierce expression softening. "Come on, I'll take you back."

The snow had melted away giving a sense of renewal to the world around them. It was as if the endless summer of Soul Society had ended and had reversed back into spring. It was a beautiful day out and the sky had never seemed so clear. The flora all around them were fresh with droplets of water, seeming to have transformed into something magnificent since the day before.

It would be the last time in a long time that Hitsugaya was truly happy.

* * *

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**A.C.:** I've been meaning to ask... what do you think of Hinamori? Do you like her? Hate her? Wish she'd just fall of a seventy story building and die? She has a bigger part later in the story but I'm wondering what most of you think since... well she tends to be at the extreme ends of everyone's favorite's list. 

And does anyone know a good timeline for Bleach? --''

I know in the manga Gin has... almost neon green eyes, but I like the anime red ones better so I'm going with that

-Winces- I don't like the transitions in this chapter and I'm not quite sure I got everyone right. Oh well, I guess it's called fanfic for a reason...


	6. Scene 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. Whatever you read here is a work of my twisted, sadistic imagination and too many dot-to-dots.

**A.C.: **Sometime down the line I realize that it's not normal for someone to stalk a website just so he or she can sign up for some stupid #$)&$?!(#&# exam. Guess what I'm doing? TT;;

Yeah screw you too TOEFL

As always, thanks for the reviews x3

How many people actually read the author's note anyways?

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

* * *

-

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* * *

::Are you well?::

The snow cleared and the dragon blinked open one frosted eyelid. He saw not one but many, many others that had come to see him. He looked up and saw that it was no longer snowing. Perhaps it was he that was the weak one; Ryuujin Jakka shouldn't have affected his realm, his sanctuary to this extent. Millennia of sleep weighing on his mind, he lifted his head in greetings.

::I am well, I wish to go back.::

Sougyo no Kotowan made a sound as if to protest, the globes of light dancing wearily at the edge of Hyourinmaru's vision. The ice dragon gave a nod in gratitude and the lights stopped moving. The flames jumped up trifle impatient. Ryuujin Jakka had always been the hotheaded one, time wouldn't change the fact. Not now not ever, not when he had been awake for so long...

::You must watch::

Hyourinmaru bore his lips in annoyance.

::Still I wish to go back, I must::

::You must watch::

::...He needs me::

::Perhaps... but not now, you will watch Hyourinmaru.::

A feminine voice interrupted the exchange,

::Let him go Ryuujin, it is not his fault his master is...::

The dragon snarled and the maiden looked back coolly. ::It is the truth Hyourimaru. It is why you cannot bare to watch as you have done to those before him. It is because he is weak.::

::Then I must go, to make him strong::

He lifted himself to his full height and everyone took a step back. Ryuujin Jakka watched carefully, the edges of violent blue and orange flames licking Hyourinmaru's sides. That had never happened before and it shouldn't have happened at all. It was almost as if... someone had tampered with the flow of power between the dragon and his master, almost as if someone was attempting to put Hyourinmaru back to eternal slumber.

::Hyourinmaru, you will watch.:: the bulbous eyes glittered like molten lava as the dragon bathed in the ancient pyres. ::I, Ryuujin Jakka command it.::

It was a while before Hyourinmaru spoke again,

::Then I must... obey::

-

-

"Wait Hitsugaya-kun!" It must have been what people felt right before they were hit by a car, or a truck, or a train. He stiffly turned his head, already anticipating a barrage of sweets when he came face to face with Ukitake Jyuushiro. He wasn't disappointed. If it had been possible, the older captain would have buried the younger in a mountain of candy. Fortunately for the 'naturally' platinum haired captain, Soul Society still had to adhere to **'some'** laws of physics. "Here." The volley of candy stopped. Hitsugaya looked up and saw the length of woven cloth being tied loosely around his neck.

"It looks nice on you," Ukitake's smile was a bit strained, unusual seeing as how the sickly captain had so cheerfully fought through ups and downs of his chronic disease for over centuries. The elegant fingers reached out, smoothing down the scarf. "It goes well with your eyes." There was an underlying subtext he could not discern, something that quietly uncoiled fear in his stomach as the other captain examined him closely. Brown eyes gave off sorrow and perhaps something else altogether, then it was gone and so was the apprehension that had been building up. Ukitake patted Hitsugaya's head affectionately, "Take care Hitsugaya-kun."

-

-

The clock ticked loudly as their work continued, Matsumoto slept on the couch as a part of her 'two days' package Hitsugaya had given her. Hitsugaya had half a mind to wake her up and make her go fetch tea but left her be, a sigh flowing out as he finished the last of the paperwork. Turning around in his seat, he stared at his zanpakuto expecting some sort of reaction from his partner as he experimentally toed the sheath.

Nothing

"Che..." he got up, rearranging the papers so that they were in order. If he was lucky, he would be able to find someone to deliver it to the first division white getting a drink in the kitchens. Slinging Hyourinmaru's sheath over his shoulders, he idly contemplated visiting Hinamori in the morning. He was about to wake Matsumoto up when he felt it.

It started as a slight tingling at the base of his neck. When he stretched out his senses, he realized that it wasn't an ordinary shinigami out for a midnight stroll. He or she was quickly moving from the third, pausing briefly on the fifth –he could have sworn his heart had stopped once before restarting- before stepping over towards the 10th. A captain, his forehead furrowed as he recognized the familiar signature, Ichimaru.

All thoughts of paperwork and Hinamori set aside, Hitsugaya jumped out through the window and out into the night.

-

-

"So you are here after all... just as I thought" The figure in the shadows stopped. Gin fixed Hitsugaya with an eerie leer. "If you're planning to do something, it isn't very smart of you to make it so obvious... Ichimaru."

"Ya misunderstood," Gin sneered. "I did that 'cause I wanted ya ta know."

"We... had an agreement..."

Gin's grin widened. The silver haired man took a leaf of paper out of his shinigami garb and held it loosely between two fingers while waving it satirically at the green-eyed captain.

"...Ya mean this...?"

Hitsugaya's eyes darkened. Through in the cover of the darkness the third division captain could see the normally teal green irises shimmering like black emeralds as the boy's hands moved towards the hilt of his zanpakuto. If anything, the action made the other's grin grow wider.

"... What are you planning to do?" Hitsugaya asked icily, Gin simply smirked. Hitsugaya's answer came a moment later in the form of his childhood friend. Hinamori landed on the rooftop, just in front of the white-haired captain. She deliberately turned her back on him as she drew Tobiume from her sheath. She extended her arm sideways, neutral, neither pointed at him nor Ichimaru.

"Hinamori?"

"Finally, I've found you. I didn't think you'd be here..." her voice quavered, breaking near the end. Ichimaru tossed his head up, looking down imposingly at them. No, just at him as the long fingers deliberately took their time tucking the paper back into the folds of the kimono. An alarm sounded in his head –_keep Hinamori away from him!_- Hitsugaya stepped forward to catch his friend's trailing sleeve.

"Stop Hinamori! He's too strong for..."

Hinamori flicked her wrist and pointed Tobiume at Hitsugaya's neck, the latter just barely twisting his head out of the way as the sword's flat side rested against his jaw. Hitsugaya felt cold sweat slide down his back as she slowly turned her tragic, beautiful face towards him.

"You are... Captain Aizen's murderer!"

"Hina... mori?" Hitsugaya stumbled, his foot pivoting in place as he backed away. Hinamori did not pursue. Instead she bit her lips, silver streams flowing down her smooth cheeks as he cited Aizen's will word for word.

How long had she been left alone with the supposed 'letter'? How long had she been left alone to ponder the next course of actions in her grief-stricken mind?

"The _conspirator..._" she continued, "plans to use that power to destroy the city as well as all of Soul Society. And the name of that cursed man is... Hitsugaya Toushiro." She choked out a sob, her shoulders going limp but her hand steady as Tobiume pulsed with energy beneath her fingers. "Please inherit my will and slay him. This is my last wish... not as the captain of the fifth diversion but as a man..." at this Gin's smile widened even further. "...Pleading for your help."

Hinamori shot forward with a cry, Tobiume instantly slicing the section of the rooftop. The smoke cleared and Hinamori swung again. Hitsugaya spun on his foot and brought his other leg up to block her blow.

"Think you idiot!" Hitsugaya snarled as snowy strands flew up into the air with Tobiume's strike. The green-eyed captain was just glad that Hinamori was too distressed to perform an initial release or the number of kidou moves she had in her arsenal. "Because he's dead he wants you to fight? Aizen Sousuke I knew wouldn't have gone into battle if he knew he wasn't going to win!"

"But that's what it said! It has to be true." Hinamori paused briefly before resuming the chase. Tobiume made her mark on the rooftops several times before the black haired lieutenant spoke again. "It was definitely Captain Aizen's hand writing!" a stab and a whirl. The moves were sloppy but packed with power, her emotions fueling all her needs as they danced away the night on the rooftop. "I don't want to believe it but that's what Captain Aizen wrote!" Hitsugaya's white haori flickered and stuck to his legs when he doubled back under her arms to avoid the next stroke "I have to do this!! For Captain Aizen!!" Hinamori was finally beginning to tire, both hands on the hilt as her chest heaved up and down. "I... I...!" she stopped, sweat and tears coating her face in a pearly glow as she stopped. "I don't know what to do anymore Shiro-chan..." she screamed and launched herself forward.

For a moment he stopped, just watching her as she came closer and closer with each millisecond that passed him by. It was like seeing her for the first time, same body a different person. His face crumpled in sorrow and he took to the air, floating freely as she missed him by an inch once more.

'Someone must have changed the will,' he thought as gravity called to his body. 'Aizen would have never written that.' He looked down to check Hinamori's location; she wasn't on the broken tiles anymore. Instead, something else caught his attention. In the dark of the night the silvery-lavender hair lit up like a flare beneath the moon. And hidden by the pale locks of hair was...

"It was you!!" but before Hitsugaya could draw his sword on the treacherous captain, Hinamori phased in front of him intending to cut him down.

"Hinamori...!" he saw her tears and cried with her in a different way. He knew that at this range the blow would cripple him leaving them both at Gin's mercy. Even with his experience as a captain he wouldn't be fast enough to dodge her in midair.

The seconds that followed was a blur. He had an acute feeling something else was controlling his moves as he sent a disabling chop to Hinamori's neck. They fell together, Hitsugaya just managing to grab a hold of the girl's collar to slow her down before she hit the rooftops.

The minute he landed he looked towards Hinamori and found her unconscious –as he hoped and feared- still holding onto Tobiume. Her hands were bleeding, the palm and the pads of her fingers rubbed raw. He turned around in anger as Ichimaru approached; tsking his disproval as he observed the two juniors.

"The captain of the 10th division is so cruel!" Gin sneered as Hitsugaya glared back at him. "There is no need to hit that hard... a girl who's lost her mind to her emotions." He bristled in rage at the taller captain's incisive observation. He didn't know then that Ichimaru's words would prove to be a premonition for things to come.

"I'll ask you once again Ichimaru-taichou, what are you planning to do?" Hitsugaya's hands once more strayed to the pale hilt of his zanpakuto. He stood up slowly, deliberately as Gin raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Ara, 'm afraid I dun' understand..."

"She held her zanpakuto tight enough to make her hands bleed..." Hitsugaya drew his sword, the blue ice glowing ominously as it was pointed at Ichimaru.

"That's no good Captain Hitsugaya, if ya draw yer sword here, 'll have no choice but to stop it with mine." As soon as Shinsou was drawn, the shorter captain threw himself at the elder. The frozen blade cracked, broke but managing to hold as they clashed once and drew apart. Hitsugaya whirled around snarling, not unlike his draconian partner, and swung again. Gin blocked the quick strikes with ease, almost effortlessly as Hitsugaya went back and forth looking for a weak spot in his defense. Deciding he had enough, Gin dodged the next blow and locked the younger in place by bearing down with his zanpakuto, throwing his weight against it so that the white haired captain could do little more than breathe out tiny puffs of air in succession.

"We... had an agreement Ichimaru." The crack in the ice grew, just like when Hyourinmaru shattered. The thought made him shudder as his arms shook with strain, Shinsou biting further and further into his makeshift sword as their fight continued. "We..."

"Kinda useless ain't ya? Coming go little ol' me for help." Gin snickered as he looked down on Hitsugaya. Maybe he wasn't looking at all, he knew for a fact that various shinigami had ongoing bets on whether or not Ichimaru Gin actually used his eyes. Maybe he was just as blind as Tousen was but didn't want to admit it. But Hitsugaya had seen the bloody red eyes before, the eyes alone that proclaimed his captaincy within Gotei 13. "Even yer zanpakuto has shattered."

Hitsugaya winced as the comment hit home. The pale lashes fluttered, almost revealing the crimson orbs but choosing not to. Gin's lips stretched as the prodigy's arms began to fold beneath his zanpakuto.

"Ya think that's just a bruise on yer neck?"

Hitsugaya jumped backwards as if he had been stung. The ice blade broke cleanly in two. The front half burying itself by Ichimaru's feet. With one free hand Hitsugaya touched the base of his neck and immediately withdrew when he felt the skin pop and blister.

"You sick bastard..." He grabbed desperately at the pulsing brand, feeling it sear through his fingers as he attempted to get it off.

With the strange collar on, Ichimaru could essentially read all his moves and counter them before Hitsugaya could even think about raising his hand, but with this forced bond, the boy genius realized that as the battle dragged on he too could read the other's moves. Gin looked displeased at the turn of events as Hitsugaya dodged a blow from Shinsou that should have been impossible for him to avoid.

Hyourinmaru was gone but Hitsugaya did not become a captain just by achieving bankai. What he desperately lacked in speed he made up with kidou in spades. He was taught by one of the experts of the demon arts, the same expert slumped on the rooftop behind them. He remade his sword completely transparent this time and encased Ichimaru's left arm in ice, smiling grimly as the other captain's reiatsu resisted the freeze and exposed the damage to the open air. Hitsugaya pressed the transparent blue blade against the base of Gin's spine.

"It's over Gin!"

Gin turned his head, eyes fluttered open to reveal scarlet irises as he ordered,

"Shoot to kill, Shinsou!"

The blade seemed to move in slow motion as it lengthened to stab at Hitsugaya's left eye. The 10th division captain barely ducked in time –getting his eyebrow nicked in the process- to bring up his ice blade to deflect it away from his face.

"Are ya sure? If ya dodge, she will..." Hitsugaya rolled from his place on the ground, already anticipating the next series of events as Gin finished dramatically "...die."

"Hina...!"

With a clang of metal on metal, a familiar figure blocked Shinsou's attack. The defender's zanpakuto splintered slightly as it gave out beneath the captain-ranked zanpakuto's initial release. Lowering her sword with some effort Matsumoto Rangiku faced her best friend.

"Please put away your sword Captain Ichimaru. If not, I will be your opponent."

Gin smiled.

-

-

IV fluids dropped down steadily, the only sound in the sterile room with Lieutenant Hinamori's comatose form in the middle. The two 10th division officers looked down gloomily at the still form, each lingering upon their own thoughts as the beat continued.

"If you hadn't come around..." Hitsugaya spoke up softly, "she would have died..." Matsumoto grabbed her pink scarf with her injured wrist, biting her lips and wondering if it had been worth it. The fourth division had concluded that the fifth's lieutenant had been strained to the point of her bodily functions shutting down. If they weren't careful, they might have to declare her unable to lead the fifth in the wake of its captain's murder. "Thank you Matsumoto." But Hitsugaya's words had been worth it, so Matsumoto gave her captain a brief smile.

"My pleasure Hitsugaya-taichou."

-

-

"Gin." A perfume of flowers –one that he couldn't quite place- followed her as she greeted him.

"Hiya Ran-chan. Ya mad at me?" Gin didn't bother turning around. She knew he wouldn't. the captain of the 3rd division did as he wished and she knew that no force on heaven or earth could persuade him to do otherwise. She couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

"No"

He didn't miss a beat

"I ain't talkin' about last night."

"No. Just... just disappointed, Captain is not a child. I have no right to interfere."

But it was obvious that the blonde was upset, seeing as how she chose to lean against the walls moodily as Gin stared out at the pond. Rangiku's hand was bandaged Gin noted with slight guilt.

"The water reflects the sun almost perfectly, but that don't mean ya can touch the sun." Gin turned to look at Matsumoto, customary smile in its place though it was not as sharply angled just a little softer –for her- than usual.

"A wish..." Rangiku said slowly, "a dream..." Gin smiled pleased. He turned back to look at the lotus dotted pond once more. They stood, sat there in silence, as content as the situation allowed them to be. Rangiku finished, "a temptation."

"Do ya know where 'Gaya is?"

-

-

Gathering his reiatsu in his index and middle finger, he touched the throbbing hollow of his neck. His expression turned sour when he saw the band light up brightly against his dusky skin. The collar was made up of pure energy, white with wisps of ghostly violet where it met the skin. Any powerful shinigami that was looking, it must have been like a neon sign with flashing bulbs. He paled immediately letting go of his neck.

Just how many knew then?

Kuchiki perhaps, Unohana certainly. Zaraki had always been perceptive for his own good and he couldn't dismiss the stares from Captain Yamamoto nor the gift in a form of scarf from Ukitake. His hands immediately flew to the scarf Ukitake had given him and tied it around his neck as tightly as he dared without strangling himself.

He shuddered, suddenly feeling cold as he wrapped an arm around himself.

"Captain Hitsugaya?" 2nd division's Soifon and the 4th's Isane entered his office.

The latter looked worried and fidgeted in one spot while the former stepped forward boldly.

"There are intruders in Soul Society. We need to find them now."

-

-

He breathed deeply, the room temperature dropping with each second. Isane looked disturbed as she looked around to see frost forming. Soifon merely glared harder as the teen's face began to show strain.

"Well?" she asked testily when Hitsugaya opened his eyes. "Did you find where the intruders are?"

"They're close to seireitei, they're in Rukongai right now but it should only be a matter of time." He replied automatically, his eyes glazed over. "There are others though... others that do not... that are not human." Why did he say that and first of all how had he noticed? He had trouble scanning past Seireitei even _with _Hyourinmaru's help.

"Who."

"It feels almost like a cat sneaked in..." he muttered to himself. Soifon's eyes widened when she heard the last part. Without even saying a goodbye, she left with a quick shunpo, leaving the other two in the office.

"Captain Hitsugaya?" Isane came near, her blue eyes inquiring passively as the white-haired captain began to rub his temples. "I was ordered by Unohana-taichou to heal you should you need for our services." Hitsugaya waved her away. The lavender haired woman pursed her lips. "There is also another news..."

-

-

Matsumoto _shunpo_-ed into the room just slightly out of breath. She saw her captain and her fellow co-worker in the middle as they talked in a low-tone about something. As soon as she came in, Isane blushed and stammered out apologies before excusing herself. Hitsugaya gave his lieutenant a flat look,

"Intruders are in Soul Society and Kuchiki Rukia's execution has been moved up."

Matsumoto couldn't hide her surprise. From what she had heard through Renji, Rukia had her reasons for giving a human her powers. The blonde had thought surely as an associate with one of the most powerful noble families in Seireitei that the girl would be excused of a minor offense.

"Again?" Hitsugaya turned around, hand dropping to his side as he went out the door. "Captain?"

"Come Matsumoto," he had an expression on. The same he wore before going into battle. Matsumot watched in quiet wonder as she followed him out, the ache in her bandaged hands subsiding as his cool aura reached her. "We are going to stop the trial."

-

-

'Hey, leave him alone alright? You got what you wanted.'

Senbonzakura gave a slight sniff before turning away. The cream and coral sleeves began to melt into soft petals as she gave a low bow.

::I only wish that you realize what you are doing::

::Be gone:: Hyourinmaru rumbled::all of you.::

And one by one, other zanpakuto made their leave leaving only Hyourinmaru, Ryuujin Jakka and a black clothed man in the eye of the storm.

The flames tried to come near again. To surround the ice in not-quite embrace as the water droplets turned to steam. The dragon melted into waters before evaporating into mist. He did not shrug off the fire's approach but the burning in his sun-like eyes did not disappear as the flames backed away in disappointment. The mist-being turned its faint jaws towards the outline of a flowing form in the burning embers.

::Be gone Ryuujin Jakka, there is only so much I can take::

And the flames too dispersed into the air, barest ripple in the air where the strongest of the fire families had been just moments before. Sighing, the man approached the serpentine form. He patted the frozen scales as they sublimated from steam. Hyourinmaru shrugged off the touches and settled back down, turning his head half-way so that the left side was immersed in liquid slush.

'You're not even half awake' the man muttered, poking at the dragon's neck with the hilt of his zanpakuto. Hyourinmaru turned one burning eye towards the wayward soul before lifting his head, too tired to form a reply other than a cross flick of his tail. 'You're in danger, both of you' the man sat by the raised head, not at all bothered when Hyourinmaru lifted his lips to reveal sword-like teeth.

::Be grateful that I let you stay shinigami.::

'Yeah, yeah, not like you can do anything about it. Two thousand years is a long time, don't you guys have an alarm clock?'

::Yes:: Hyourinmaru replied dryly. He pointed his head towards the parting sky, the front part to the back disintegrating to fine flakes of ice as he left. ::You:: and the man was alone with only his zanpakuto by his side as the wind whipped all around him in a dazzling kaleidoscope of chromic white. He sighed, looking up where the snow danced under the sun. It reminded him of many things but mostly of his death. He lowered his head, the grip on the sheath growing just a little tighter.

'Yeah... it was stupid of me wasn't it?'

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**A.C.:** -groans- that wasn't the longest chapter I've written so far but that was one of the longer ones -collapses- please excuse any grammatic mistakes in this chapter as I was probably half-asleep writing this. 

**Ace:** When are you not alseep?

**A.C.: **shut up

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**Preview**

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::Will you tell him then, Shinsou?::

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"So it's true then."

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_The snow was falling, oh so softly falling._

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"Dun die yet 'Gaya, ya still have a world ta save that ya do."

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::Call on me if you need me::

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"Why are you here?" Hitsugaya asked softly, his hand already reaching back for Hyourinmaru. The man did the same, only his zanpakuto was on his waist.

-

"You don't think he left us... do you?" Hinamori pounced on him, her bandaged fingers taking his duskier hands into her own as she closed in. "do you Hitsugaya?!"

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**A.C.:** ):D 

umm... surely Hinamori isn't that bad... err is she? Well I'll just have to wait and see if you guys like the role I placed her in


	7. Scene 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach, end.

**A.C.: **I hate school. Try multiplying that by hmm... an unknown number 'x'. Ahh... I promised myself it wouldn't get this long. My eyes are burning now -dabs at them-

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

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::Your shinigami has been bothering mine of late... Shinsou::

The divine spear appeared in its humanoid form, a narrow faced man with a secretive smile. Hyourinmaru faced him, catfish-like whiskers twitching in annoyance as the other came near. Shinsou waved his hands nonchalantly as a blast of cold air greeted him. Briefly, he looked into the waters that Hyourinmaru had been using to scry his shinigami before smoothing the creases of his silver and red garb and replying,

::You know the rules; we're not allowed to talk about it.::

An unwritten rule, all those partnered up with shinigami would be unable to talk about their confidant's plans to another. Even if they did talk about it, they were forbidden from telling it to their partners through an ancient spell older than time itself; back when Ryuujin Jakka was no more than a fireling eating away at the earth's crust, Hyourinmaru no more than a droplet of rain joining the ocean in a never-ending cycle. But secrets as it seemed, were meant to be shared. There were shifty rumors all about but no one was coming out to say it just yet, only pointed fingers criss-crossed at each other when they gathered for brevity in the wrinkles of time.

Hyourinmaru had more than an inkling of what was going on and it was nothing particularly good. Shockingly crimson eyes glowed like angry twin suns as the pale dragon lifted himself out of the water, scales sparkling with pearl droplets as receding arches of ice appeared in succession behind him. The images in the water dissolved reflecting another; a man, a boy, something else altogether. The dragon blew softly on the water, watching quietly as the water turned to flakes of crystalline snow carried away by the breeze.

::Will you go to him Hyourinmaru?::

For the first time, the sly look had disappeared from the zanpakuto's face in favor of concern. Shinsou put a hand on the dragon's scaled side as if to stop the dragon from making a move. He added calmly::Even when Ryuujin Jakka has forbidden you from doing so?::

Hyourinmaru tossed his head, looking indulgingly at Shinsou. The dragon grew smaller and smaller under Shinsou's hand as the wind carved him a new form for his journey into the shinigami world.

::Will you tell him then, Shinsou?::

Shinsou bowed. That was one of the more admirable things about Shinsou; he knew his place and when to butt out.

::Of course not::

-

-

It was true that the boy was abnormally powerful, even without the presence of two powerful captains on each side of his division. But he couldn't figure out for the life of him why Aizen was so interested. He thought Hitsugaya made a nice plaything, but hardly someone to pick on without a good reason.

He bit into the mandarin orange, picking out the unsavory whitish peel-things with his fingers. Hitsugaya, he recalled slowly, the youngest shinigami to ever ascend to the rank of captaincy in the history of Gotei 13. And a really good lay, he added laughing to himself.

His thoughts began to stray as he began to observe his lieutenant from the corner of his eyes. Really, he and Rangiku were too similar at times. Likely, the 10th division was doing the same thing right now except in reverse. And there was nothing quite like Kira laden with paperwork glaring over the dwindling stacks while the pale haired captain folded a miniature hawk out of his documents.

Wisely, he left the room when the blonde began to shoot him evil glares. The doses were double than usual and it was all Gin could do to stop himself from sprinting out the door when the blue-eyed lieutenant making suspicious grinding noise that could have only come from a chainsaw.

He wandered through his division scaring the hell out of his underlings when he suddenly came up from behind them. He politely –gave them a creepy smile- turned down offers for walks (amongst other things) and began to look for a safe hiding place just in case Kira got angry enough to follow the trails of hysteric shinigami and come after him. You wouldn't think, he thought. The blonde looked so obedient and sweet, it turned out that he was a workaholic –which was fine with him really- and more than capable of handing a power tool... or two... too capable.

This was why he hid himself in the deepest crevice of the 3rd division's archive, a collection of books and files from god-knows-when. Clicking his tongue amusedly at the layer of dust covering the floor, he reminded himself to set Kira immediately to clean it after the day's paperwork was done. Though he didn't mean to, he couldn't help but reorganize the shelves himself inadvertently as he started to flip through the various books. Some were absolutely boring (what was the academy book doing in here?), while others were a bit more interesting (he pocketed 'karma sutra' for keepsakes) though he never lingered upon them for more than a second. He continued on like this until he came across a thick volume half-way hidden behind a stack of playboy magazines (now how did those get there?). It was a book on zanpakuto; even Shinsou was listed proudly under the letter '_sa_'. Intrigued, he turned the aged yellow papers as he began to read a passage on how zanpakuto were formed blah, blah, and blah.

He spent a long time mulling over the article on Shinsou –which did not go unappreciated by the said zanpakuto- and grinned as he found himself listed as the current shinigami holding him. He had just gotten to the part of Ryuujin Jakka's attack power and was about to transition into his history when the door flew open to admit a heaving blonde. Admittedly, it didn't have the same effects as say... Rangiku, but it did entail in Gin slamming his head on the shelf and dropping what he had been reading.

Almost, but not quite ready for the chase of _'get-back-to-work-before-I-hurt-you'_, Gin was confused to find that Kira was almost crying at the sight of his captain amongst the tall shelves. The blue eyes that should have been burning red at the corners due to sudden flux in blood flow were streaming tears than murder. Gin rubbed his head, feeling the minor bump rise where he had hit it on the shelf.

"Ca... Captain..." Izuru stuttered, "You're cleaning! You're actually doing work!" the blonde felt like he should have yelled 'hallelujah' for the miracle he was witnessing. Instead, he gave off sporadic jerks as his mind confirmed that this was not a dream.

Gin frowned and looked around himself.

"Ara..."

Sure enough, the shelves were organized. There was still a substantial amount of dust but nothing a quick sweep couldn't fix.

"I... I..." Kira seemed to have been overcome with emotions. "I'll get tea!!"

Kira turned with tears flowing out of his eye and came face to face with a hell butterfly as it floated lazily in midair. The two shinigami instantly recognized it as one of 5th diversion's. Hinamori Momo, upon her initiation as a lieutenant, had declared it her patriotic duty to make things in the 5th diversion run smoothly as possible. She had painted a –wussy, Gin thought privately though it was more of Zaraki's vocabulary- rough heart at the right end of the secondary wings for all the hell butterflies employed in the 5th diversion. Though one wouldn't have noticed if one didn't know it was there in the first place, it made the black butterfly that much recognizable in the gloom of the dusty room.

The hell butterfly's broadcast was filled with static,

"You are needed Gin."

-

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_::...Gaya?::_

Hitsugaya started when he heard the voice. Then realized it was not Ichimaru calling to him through the collar but the faint voice of his zanpakuto. Trying to hide the ecstatic look on his face as they quickly ran towards the Central 46 Chambers he mentally called out,

'Where the hell have you been you lazy lizard?'

There was a note of amusement and affection in Hyourinmaru's voice as the dragon's thoughts bubbled over his.

::It is of no importance::

'Whatever just keep your eyes open alright?'

He thought that they might have had to force their way in through the Central 46. They were surprised to find the place empty, not even a single guard posted outside the judgment halls.

"Captain Hitsugaya..." Matsumoto breathed as they neared the entrance. Her fingers were already straying towards Haineko, unnerved by the absolute silence of their surroundings.

"Shh..." Hitsugaya hushed as he reached out. Hyourinmaru stretched his neck forward in his mind's eye, also observing.

It was like exiting a dark tunnel and into the light. The stillness amplified nothingness into a screech, heartbeats in their ears pounding like a war drum. Rangiku recoiled at the scent of decaying flesh as Hitsugaya checked each and every one of the 46 council members. His hand brushed briefly against the stains of black blood, the latter crumbling as he rubbed his fingers together.

"The blood's dried up to the point it turned black and crumbles... so they weren't killed so recently then."

"Captain," Matsumoto had sided up to Hitsugaya, her hand delicately pressed against her lips as she looked around the spherical room with her wandering blue eyes. "Does that mean all the orders we've received were..."

::Fake:: Hyourinmaru echoed::But you already knew that did you not?::

"I thought you'd be here Hitsugaya-taichou." A flash of pale gold hair and blue eyes appeared at the entrance. Matsumoto looked up sharply,

"Kira...!"

"Did you..." Hitsugaya asked, "Do this?" Kira looked down guiltily and left. Before the blonde's foot had even cleared the doorway Hitsugaya began pursuit. "Let's go Matsumoto!"

-

-

::You shouldn't have let him go::

::Who am I to stop the mighty Hyourinmaru::

::Ryuujin Jakka will not be pleased::

::He's never pleased::

::True...::

::Chastity is good for him::

::But...:: a scandalous silence. ::Shinsou!!::

-

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Kira knew that Captain Hitsugaya was not nearly fast enough to catch him. On the other hand Matsumoto was quite another story. Despite her looks, she was fast on her feet and should she hold him up, it would be the end of the line for him.

"Stop Kira!!"

He took another turn, taking them further and further away from the Central 46 Chambers as his captain had directed.

"Can you afford to chase me right now Captain?"

"The one who destroyed Central 46... Was it you?!"

"That is not important Captain; you should be... protecting Hinamori."

Hitsugaya's pace slipped before resuming the chase. Matsumoto was getting closer and closer, soon she would be able to over take them both and stall him while Hitsugaya caught up to them. The white haired captain did not inquire further and swiftly turned around as his lieutenant jumped over him with a questioning glance.

"Can I leave him to you?"

"Please do."

And the two top seats of 10th diversion parted ways.

-

-

"Shiro-chan!"

Hinamori was pressed up against Aizen, the man's arms held loosely around her shoulder as they made their way across the blood splattered floor of the 46 council. The brunette looked pleasantly surprised as the younger captain of Gotei 13 made his appearance.

"I apologize. Seems like Izuru wasn' able to buy much time."

A belittling sneer reached his ears as he looked up in shock.

"Aizen..." Hitsugaya made a slight chocking noise at the back of his throat. His eyes traveled frantically from Ichimaru's thin, foxy face to his childhood friend in a supposedly dead man's arms. "How can this be...? You're alive..." as if his words had been a physical blow, Hinamori cringed and wrapped her fingers tighter around the brunette captain's sleeves.

It was as if a light had been shed upon a dark room.

"You... all of us... you've been lying to all of us!" Hitsugaya pulled Hyourinmaru out of its sheath, the original metal restored to its shape. The ice coating the sword shattered against the force of his reiatsu and fell to the ground sounding like bells when they hit the black-flecked marble. Already the temperature was dropping at an impressive rate, their breaths visible as white clouds around their mouths and nostrils.

Before Aizen could even begin to justify himself to the incensed teen Hinamori burst out angrily,

"He hasn't been lying to us; it's just that none of us ever understood!" Hinamori immediately covered her face in horror at what she had said. Hitsugaya felt his grip tighten as a full smile bloomed on Aizen's face; Gin leered sideways as the teen began to tremble. "Shiro-chan..."

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou... Hinamori-fukutaichou." Hinamori let out a sharp whimper and buried her face in the white haori. Hitsugaya hissed, "Traitor Aizen, I will kill you..." Gin let out a small 'eek' and a mocking shiver. Aizen lowered his head until his mouth was by Hinamori's ear.

"You hear that Hinamori-kun, it's as I said. He truly wishes to kill me."

Hinamori shuddered and Hitsugaya watched afraid, knowing that Aizen had already turned her against him and could easily do it again.

"Captain Aizen?" Hinamori turned uncertainly towards her captain. Aizen smiled down on her reassuringly, almost paternally as he squeezed her shoulder. Hinamori's face broke out into a brilliant smile, radiating pure adoration as her hold on him tightened.

Aizen's hand lowered stroking her ebony hair, a finger pressing on the shallow impression at the base of her skull and knocking her out.

"An' ya told me I was goin' soft"

Ice wound up the pillars like ivy, the frost forming delicate blossoms that sparkled an ethereal white in the dim lighting of the council room.

_::Calm Toushiro...::_

"Ban... kai," the cold mist dispersed, revealing a set of frozen wings and a silver blade. The green scarf floated above the ice propelled by the cold air. The ends of the scarf looked like a secondary pair of wings as the tip of his icy tail danced over the frost riddled ground. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru." Hitsugaya's eyes darkened in rage as Aizen looked back amiably, a foot gently nudging the prone body of Hinamori away from the hems of his clothing. Ichimaru snickered in the background quietly to himself as his eyes fluttered open.

"So it's true then."

::Toushiro...::

"Die..."

The 10th division's captain offered no more words. He shot forward, Hyourinmaru aimed towards the same place he had seen the man bleeding from during his 'death'. Hyourinmaru hissed when he missed his prey by inches, his teeth closing over nothing but a few pale threads as they cut through Aizen's afterimage. Hitsugaya turned around in shock,

"You shouldn't say such harsh words," said the ex-captain calmly as he passed Hitsugaya heading down the stairs. "It makes you look weak." The ice cracked, cloven in two in Aizen's passing. A small rivulet of blood surfaced and froze when it touched the frozen appendage. Hitsugaya struggled to turn his head as his tongue lifted and rolled back into his mouth, smearing blood on to his lips as the fracture extended to his wings and the spine.

"I... impossible..." And the armor broke off cleanly, the wings hurling into the air in scraps of ice while his arm was torn open by its length. Hitsugaya fell to his knees, showered by his own blood when Gin stared to walk past him.

"Would you fix him up a bit Ichimaru? I think I stabbed him a little too deep and we really can't have him dying on us now." Aizen looked amused as he gave the white-haired captain one last backwards glance. Hitsugaya choked and spat out the blood in his mouth. He leaned on Hyourinmaru, about to stand up and turn when his feet slipped and he fell towards the cold, marble flooring.

_The snow was falling, oh so softly falling. _

He banged his head on the floor seeing black fires dance across his vision as his bankai melted away like fat from a burning pan. Hyourinmaru screamed in rage at Aizen's Kyouka Suigetsu as he faded from the material world once more, his roars suffocated by a bloody blizzard. Last of the dragon's head breaking away from his wrists, he reached out towards Aizen's retreating back.

_But it was beautiful, oh so beautiful..._

_His hand fell limp. When his blood dyed the white ice in red, he saw the minute details of the frost blooming, wilting, melting. A thin sheet of snow covered his hand, begging for forgiveness as tiny crystals landed on his snowy lashes. Gin's feet seemed to take forever to come near, the forever he did not have. He no longer heard Hyourinmaru's voice; it was as if his head was being pried apart by a living wall of fire..._

Daintily stepping over the glass-like ice, Gin single handedly plucked the younger out of his frozen tomb and pressed him against his chest. The shared heat wasn't too bad, abet one-sided with Hitsugaya's head cradled brokenly against the scentless cloth. How odd it was, seeing as how they lived in their uniforms. Shouldn't the deathly black kimono carry some type of bearer's identity? A hand groped at his neck –taking time to unravel the ruined cloth-, at his spine, at his front. The pain was rushing back in a crimson tide as the skin was forced to knit, bones realigning themselves unwillingly as Ichimaru did the most and the least as he possibly could to ensure the shorter captain's survival.

Hitsugaya blinked his temple against Ichimaru's bony collar as he felt his reiatsu rearranged at the hands of another. Pain did not register in his mind when he saw the lavender hair fall across his face, and his vision filled in red.

"Dun die yet 'Gaya, ya still have a world ta save that ya do."

And Hitsugaya blacked out

-

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Hyourinmaru narrowed his eyes at the sight of Kyouga Suigetsu before he got up.

There were so many...

Not just the captain ranked nor the bankai ranked. Even the lesser, those whose partners were unable to call on were there to watch him at his weakest. Hyourinmaru growled when traces of flames circled around him, drawing everyone backwards.

There were protests amongst those who had turned up as Hyourinmaru was cowed against the ground. This was his realm and he its lord, Ryuujin Jakka had no rights to take over.

Hyourinmaru threw his body against the living wall of fire, clamping his jaws shut and internally screaming as Ryuujin Jakka's flames washed over him. Steam wafted off of his skin as he began to re-freeze from the skin towards the internal organs.

Contrary to popular belief, he was not made of pure ice. Though ice would have lasted longer against an opponent like Ryuujin Jakka, he preferred the mobility of his semi-liquid state. Refreshing himself upon the pools of water dotting the ground, Hyourinmaru let out a raucous cry when Ryuujin Jakka took on another form and pounced upon his back.

Ryuujin Jakka's jaws snapped down on Hyourinmaru's neck. As the fire and ice made contact, it made a fizzling noise that sounded more like a roar. Hyourinmaru's head disconnected from his body and fell to the ground as his now wax-like neck melted off into steam. Ryuujin Jakka's head turned into a smoky rendition of a bird's beak before the flames climbed up to renew it into bright points of blue and white fire.

Water surged from the leaking stub of Hyourinmaru's neck and a new head formed in a cloud of vapor as he tried to dodge Ryuujin Jakka's advances. The fires stepped over the fragments of the crushed head instantly turning into water as a throaty rumble reverberated through the air. The fire expanded then contracted like a thumping heart, growing larger and larger with each beat. Hyourinmaru recoiled and turned away, the scaly patterns over his body melting away as the heat stroked his ribcage almost lovingly all the while cornering him against a wall of fire.

'Hey leave him alone!' the man forced himself through the ranks of zanpakuto, 'you do that here and the kid will...!' Ryuujin Jakka's flaming appendage slammed down on where the shinigami had been just moments before. Sougyo no Kotowan stood protectively before the man as he glared at the raging fires.

::He has a valid point Ryuujin Jakka, should you continue the boy may die.::

He wished that he could interfere; they all wished that they could. But the truth was that Hyourinmaru had broken the laws and to have flaunted it so openly in Ryuujin Jakka's face was asking for death itself. Sougyo no Kotowan looked away, the shinigami was dumbstruck.

'You... you can't just give up like this... you... you have to stop this!'

::Kid, the only one who can stop this is Hyourinmaru::

Katen Kyoukotsu -or one of the identical two- put a hand on the man's shoulders to prevent him from interfering.

'He'll never do it...'

::No::

Hyourinmaru let out a low groan as he was forced to rematerialize before them, his strength all but spent as he bowed down before the towers of flame. Before the fires could speak the dragon spat out,

::I apologize...::

The fires retreated in surprise,

::But not to you... never to you...:: There was a fine tremor as his scales began to flake off in a trail of an incandescent rainbow. ::I apologize to others to have them witness this but I will not apologize for disobeying orders.:: the curve of the dragon's neck shuddered and drooped. ::It was his choice and he is my choice. We do not regret, **_I _**do not regret.::

There was no hesitation in the crimson eyes as Ryuujin Jakka shifted into the form of a dragon not unlike that of Hyourinmaru.

::Then I shall make you... regret::

-

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He woke up into a world inverse from the familiar tundra of his past travels. He fell to his knees exhausted as the sun bore down on him mercilessly from the strangely open sky. Here, even the sky was red, the clouds a warm yellow and the earth crumbling away like dried flakes of blood beneath his hands. Not even a hint of moisture under the topmost layer of dirt. The earth was crazed and cracked, as if the snow and the water was a distant myth and that he did not belong.

_::Call on me if you need me::_

"Hyourinmaru!" the sealed form of the zanpakuto was at his back as always but nothing.

Not even the faint wisps of greetings or even disappointment.

Nothing.

Hitsugaya had lost track of time as he traveled further into the realm, their realm. The temperature had fallen somewhat and the clouds had grown darker overhead. Every now and then, a stagnant pool of silvery liquid and crystal reflected minute's moments of his life. He had to turn his face away when he saw the more recent ones. Then almost with a relieved sigh, it began to rain. The land drank up the water greedily, flooding the ground in red. The fissures filled up and the ground became soft enough to travel barefoot. The mud squished around his zori and he lifted his foot up, in the process catching the sight of an approaching man.

He didn't know why the man was there, perhaps a side effect of when Gin had tampered with his collar during his last moments of consciousness. He distantly recognized the other shinigami but didn't know the reasons why he had manifested in his world, hair plastered to his face as he grinned down broadly at him.

"Who are you?" The man was familiar beyond a scant glance as the photos of the past; rather young and confident. Hitsugaya slowly he began to remember exactly where he had seen the face before and realized this was the man who had been haunting his thoughts of late. "You are..." The man nodded, his grin growing just a bit wider but not enough to look like a certain sadistic ex-captain of the 3rd division. "Why are you here?" Hitsugaya asked softly, his hand already reaching back for Hyourinmaru. The man did the same, only his zanpakuto was on his waist.

"I'm here to help you train. I'm here to help you awaken Hyourinmaru."

-

-

"Ah Hitsugaya-kun, you're awake." Greeted Ukitake Jyuushiro as Hitsugaya's eyes adjusted to the light of the room. Hitsugaya blinked a few times, the dots on the otherwise sterile ceiling coming into view. His pupils focused contracting, then diluting as a hand rustled his hair fondly.

He remembered.

He promptly sat up –almost regretting his decision to do so when pain exploded behind his eyes- as Ukitake tried vainly to settle the young shinigami back down. He tried to get the words out, perhaps even 'Aizen' or 'Hinamori?'. His strength faded quickly as it had come, leaving him exhausted in the sickly captain's arms. Hitsugaya started to protest when the 13th division's captain laid him back down, tucking the covers up to the dusky chin before calling out for one of the 4th's medics. When he decided the shinigami weren't moving fast enough for his liking, Ukitake stood up and turned towards the door with every intention of bringing Captain Unohana into the room. A weak hand wrapped around his wrists, it was Hitsugaya.

The boy had thrown his other arm over his face to block out the light but when the long haired captain sat back down on the chair beside the bed Hitsugaya slowly uncovered his eyes. Green eyes peered up at him, an unknown want and a pleading look passing though them. Ukitake reached over, carefully unfolding the arm back down onto the boy's chest. Before either of them could speak, Hanatarou came in and announced that Unohana would be with them in a minute. Ukitake let out a small –he sounded relieved- sigh as he sank into his chair.

"I'm sorry about the scarf Ukitake-taichou."

Ukitake looked up in mild surprise and smiled warmly,

"It's alright Hitsugaya-kun. We'll just have to get you another one."

-

-

Hitsugaya snuck out of his room as soon as Ukitake had left it. Making sure to tail the older captain back to his division before getting up and trying to track down which one of the numerous wards held Hinamori there. Rangiku had yet to come to visit him –though according to Ukitake, she had practically camped out in his room before being forced to go and wash up- and he felt twinges of guilt beginning to form.

Hyourinmaru had pointed out through their fragile link that he should be resting –'like a good little child' he said- and not roving around the halls like some common messenger. But what if there had been more to what Aizen had done to her when he had knocked her out. What if she had been seriously injured? From what he had heard from gossiping medics behind his door, the current news in Seireitei was anything but good.

He bit his lips when he felt his stomach cramp. Brushing his neck in an unconscious manner he carried on as he felt the faint shadow of Hinamori's reiatsu unfold before him.

Hinamori's case had been pardoned as a case of shock, but she still had to remain in the fourth division's ward for further observations. He swallowed as he saw her sallow face, so bitter like a gnarled root of tree standing up against the elements. She had an expression of fury in her eyes, like those of a goddess who was stripped of her title but not her mind; it lifted some weight off of Hitsugaya's shoulders. So she wasn't broken then –he thought- but did not go any further into the room. Hinamori's reiatsu tingled just out of reach, humming in cadence with her frail heartbeat. She turned her head, catching the here-and-there flicker of his pallid form. Her eyes brightened when she met his and she beckoned him close.

He refused at first, not wanting to taint the fragile beauty she held, he didn't want to dirty her just like he dirtied himself. He didn't want to touch her –he can't- but he nodded mutely to her invitation, staking a claim on the furthest corner of the bed. They stayed in silence, in darkness. The moon shone brightly through the window, not a single cloud dots the sky as they sat together, apart. Until Hinamori broke the stillness with half-sang, half-croaked words.

"The moon is bright tonight." Her pale hands stretched towards Hitsugaya's duskier ones, groping in the moonlight for something to hold onto. Hitsugaya shied, making sure to fold the loose flap of his haori over his knees as to make sure Hinamori did not touch them. The brown-eyed girl gave up, her hands flat on the wrinkles of the bed sheets halfway between her body and Hitsugaya's legs. "It was brighter when he was there..." the white-haired captain remained quiet, "They all think he betrayed us Toushiro-kun..." the customary, 'it's Hitsugaya-taichou' didn't come and the girl turned towards her friend, eyes empty.

No not quite empty. There is devotion there, admiration that he cannot explain. The love for her once-captain holds to her mania and refused to go away. If he could have, he wished that he could cut away Aizen's identity with Hyourinmaru. If he could have, he would have sent the lying bastard to the nine hells to leave him in the frozen tundra till the brunette's skin peeled away with cold and stained the snow in red.

Hyourinmaru nudged his mind in approval, but he still wished to cut the session short. The dragon felt the girl's sickness, her madness. He did not want the young captain stained in poison that she secreted. The dragon closed his eyes and growled lowly as Hitsugaya's eyes met Hinamori's desperate ones.

"You don't think he left us... do you?" Hinamori pounced on him, her bandaged fingers taking his duskier hands into her own as she closed in. "do you Hitsugaya?!" the short captain slammed the back of his head against the wall, Hinamori halfway onto his lap as she not-so-gently brought their foreheads together.

"Hinamori!" the close proximity frightened him and with this fear, Hyourinmaru's eyes glowed as he watched the situation unfold.

::Toushiro... she cannot... she _will not_ be saved...::

::Shut up!::

He struggled to maintain a mental barrier –he can't let the dragon see- as his childhood friend's hold grew tighter and tighter until the tip of his fingers began to turn purple from the lack of blood flow.

'_DonttouchmeyoullgetdirtytoopleaseHinamoridonttouchmeyoudontknowwhatIvedoneforyouyoudprobablyhatemeforitdonttouchmeHinamoriyoull__egretitpleasepleasepleaseletmegoyoucantdothisIwontletyou_

_rIdontwantyoutogetdirty__pleaseHinamoridonttouchmeyoudontknowwhatIvedoneyoudontwanttoknowwhatIdidpleasejuststayaway__...'_

'Oy snap out of it!'

"Please," she cried out, tears already flowing down her chocolate eyes. "They took Tobiume away from me, you have to help him!" There was no need to ask who 'he' was. Hitsugaya steeled himself as he pushed her away. Hinamori looked stunned at the action.

"He's a traitor,"

"You don't know him!" and she redoubled her efforts until Hitsugaya fell off the bed panting on the floor. His shoulder stretched and he felt the wounds reopen as blood seeped through the bandaging. It reminded him of a certain captain's eyes before he left, as dark and painful as the face above him

"I... I know enough that I could have died out there."

Hinamori's reply was small, almost inaudible had he not been listening closely.

Her answer might as well have broken him.

"He didn't hurt me..."

He wanted to take her into his arms and shake her. Shake her free of the images of Aizen and remind her of the summer nights they had in Rukongai's districts, spitting watermelon seeds at one another.

"Please Shiro-chan!" Hitsugaya froze; "I don't know what to do anymore!" she climbed down from the bed clawing at his hands once more.

This time Hitsugaya had neither the strength nor the heart to stop her as her body pressed against his.

_::How dare she...::_

Hyourinmaru had roused himself from his frozen throne, fishbone like teeth glittering in the winter sun as he raised his head. But he already knew that he again would fail in the protection of the 10th division's captain.

Hitsugaya wasn't listening anymore...

Her hair had pulled free from its usual neat bun and fell like wet grass onto his face. Hitsugaya's breath hitched as he struggled to get away, his mind numbly grasping that his hysteric reaction was only making her more determined to persuade him. Her hair fell into his eyes and he realized how dark it was compared to his own. Her hair was black, too black, and her eyes weren't the right color but he realized with rising panic that her hair is darker than his own snow colored crown. He remembered the dead body of a woman, colorless and pale hair in his hands, a girl with a frightened face, the pain of his body being broken, the winter storm at its peak, a foxy sneer, the blood red eyes and the sickeningly warm but pale hands creeping over his shoulders and neck.

The ice dragon quickened in his mind, his crimson eyes –so unlike Gin's- flashing in anger. But he offered no more words for him to reply to. Hyourinmaru was angry, his rage overlapping his fear and drowning it like a tsunami. In his mind's eye he saw Hinamori broken and bleeding on an icy path, Momo carried away in Hyourinmaru's massive jaws, Momo by Aizen's side, Momo with her zanpakuto raised against him, Momo accusing him of murder, Momo laying underneath Aizen under the moonlight and she...

Hyourinmaru roared, the blade digging against his back threatening to tear out of its binding sheath. The dragon snapped at his back and it took everything for him to reseal the raging zanpakuto back into its sword-like form. The dragon was angry at Hitsugaya, at the older girl, and at himself for not being able to help. He lashed out against the mental barrier, taking grim pleasure in the hollow echo of Hitsugaya's pain.

When Hinamori touched his face her fingers trailing across his lids, Hitsugaya does the only thing he can, he screams

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**A.C.:** Hitsu-torture. Gotta love them x3 

About Hitsugaya's reiatsu-tracking senses... I figure that since Soifon's division is the head of the special forces (kind of), Mayuri's is a science department, and Kenpachi's is of fighting specialists, most other divisions must have some significance within the ranks of Gotei 13. So I gave his that ability -shrugs-

Gwad this was a long chapter, loved every minute of it though

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**Preview**

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's'ok, Hyou-chan is just a wee grumpy'

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::He is no threat::

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"I should have been there... where are you going this time Gin?"

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"Matsumoto-san... can we talk?"

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Clutched in Mayuri's hands was what looked like a black marble, or an eye dipped in black paint.

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"I'm not a cruel man Hitsugaya-kun, just watching out for the good of seireitei."

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"You..." Hitsugaya's voice was dry and hollow, seeming as if someone altogether was speaking through his mouth. "You would have an ex-captain take the blame for my death?


	8. Scene 8

**Disclaimer:** I really wish I could own Hitsugaya...

**A.C.: **Hmm my email doesn't seem to be working, haven't gotten a single mail sent from this account...

wow the midterms are here... -goes off to die-

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

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"_You want me to what?"_

'_Hit me.'_

_It was absolutely the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard of._

"_You want me to hit you." Said Hitsugaya slowly, "With Hyourinmaru...?" the man nodded enthusiastically and Hitsugaya wondered if he hadn't been better off unconscious like he was supposed to be. Through some latent cognitive ability, he felt himself being moved and pain shot through places where there was nothing more than a stretch of clean skin. He looked from the man and at his still zanpakuto before looking back somewhat dubiously. _

'_Come on, hit me with that sucker!' Annoyed Hitsugaya flicked his wrists, sending a small wave of water towards the man. The man dissipated it with ease frowning. 'Come on TO-U-SHI-RO. hit me!' Rolling his eyes, Hitsugaya indulged his elder. He ran forward and brought his zanpakuto down, expecting at least an exclamation of pain. _

_The katana easily sliced through the layer of black kimono but no further. The stark sleeve fell apart to reveal a stretch of tanned skin but not a hint of bruising to show that he had taken a hit from Hyourinmaru. _

_A zanpakuto's sharpness depended entirely upon its wielder's status. Little to no reiatsu meant brittleness. Little to no bonding meant dullness. Hitsugaya touched Hyourinmaru and found him cold but lifeless._

"_Sit upon the frozen sky," Hitsugaya swallowed, "Hyourinmaru!" the zanpakuto sliced through the air, creating a freezing ripple in the void of its passing. The arc ended hesitantly at its zenith, no proud dragon announced its materialization through a storm of ice and snow._

'_Can't even call him can you?' the man asked softly pointing towards where Hyourinmaru would have been, __**should have been**__. 'You already possessed the ability to perform the initial release when you first got a hold of Hyourinmaru. And that, little-captain, is your problem.'_

_Hitsugaya bristled at the 'little' comment but decided to stay quiet and hear what the man had to say. 'The bond between you two is not a traditional one but was forced upon you on Hyourinmaru's insistence.' _

_The look on Hitsugaya's face turned cold. He had worked hard to be a captain and no one, not even the dark haired man in front of him could say otherwise._

"_If you are implying that I..." _

'_Not at all but it means that you never had to work to make your zanpakuto manifest into a physical form.'_

_It was true. For as long as he could remember Hyourinmaru had been a constant companion in his mind, sending bubbles of nothing whenever the short captain was dealing with paperwork or unruly subordinates._

"_What do I do then?"_

_The man smiled,_

'_That's why I'm here. You and me Hitsugaya, are going to relearn the basics of bankai.'_

-

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'S'ok, Hyou-chan is just a wee grumpy,'

It was the first thing he heard when he woke up.

He nearly groaned out loud.

"Hyou-chan" Hitsugaya repeated scandalized. The dragon snorted, whipping his tail against the frozen ground in a warning. The man grinned madly knocking on the icy scales with his knuckles.

'Well yeah.' The boy genius got up, noticing that the place was much colder than he had left it. Hyourinmaru nodded in greetings, shaking his body irritably to ward off the older shinigami. The dark haired man's face grew serious. 'You shouldn't let her push you around like that.'

"I don't let her push me around."

'Aho... and I suppose you fell on the ground of your accord.'

"Maybe I did," Hitsugaya sat grumpily down on the ground. "What's it to you?" The man tapped his temple. Hitsugaya's eyes widened, "You didn't..."

'Four seconds are up, bye Shiro-_chan_.'

-

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Matsumoto Rangiku had heard her captain's screams long before the actual sound had reached her ears. She had been talking quietly with Renji about Aizen, Tousen, Kira, Gin, Hinamori, and themselves.

Not all of them had followed the three traitors out into Hueco Mundos but all of them had inevitably betrayed the Soul Society one way or another in their actions of the past few days.

The 46 council was decimated, substitutes nowhere to be found. The whole of seireitei of was in disarray with just the nobles reigning in the control. Captain Kuchiki –despite his injuries- had been running himself to the ground of late. Even those from minor families such as Captain Soifon, Captain Ukitake and even Captain Shunsui weren't fairing much well either.

Then they heard the screams.

They rushed into the room.

What greeted their eyes was a surprise for them both.

Hitsugaya slapped Hinamori with a resounding 'thwack', nearly turning the girl's head 180 degrees as he backed against a wall panting.

The Hitsugaya they knew would have never hurt the girl in any way, shape or form. But there he was, the proud ice prince of the 10th diversion, hand outstretched with the makings of a hand shaped bruise flaring across Hinamori's face.

"Shiro-chan...?"

Her brown eyes were overflowing in denial.

Hitsugaya simply looked horrified at what he had done.

"Hinamori I..."

"Stay away from me!!"

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::He is no threat::

"Why is he here?" Hitsugaya watched, through the corner of his eyes, the man sitting alone on top of Hyourinmaru's many coils. No, not quite alone, he still had that zanpakuto with him. He let out a shuddering breath; perhaps in the physical world someone was healing him again. Hyourinmaru's translucent forehead fogged before clearing.

::Do not be afraid::

"Try saying that when you have a ghost running around in your head." Snorted Hitsugaya ignoring the other death god's protest of _'For the love of god I'm not a ghost!'_ as he rubbed patterns into Hyourinmaru's frozen skin.

::He is here because there are people who want him to be, he has yet to say his goodbyes::

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The captains meeting came to an end.

Hitsugaya and a handful of shinigami would go to Karakura town to assist the shinigami there with the arrancar invasion. Matsumoto Rangiku had been a must of course and the sixth diversion had offered Abarai Renji, the eleventh had offered Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika respectively.

Hitsugaya stood up and walked towards the door when a sudden hand stopped him.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, may I speak with you for a moment?"

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With no captain to supervise her Matsumoto stared out the window listlessly, the paperwork a mere cushion for her feet as she lounged on the couch.

A week...? Maybe a little over that since Aizen, Tousen, and _Gin _left the Soul Society.

It felt surreal.

Perhaps Gin would drop by later in the day to harass her captain and coax her into ditching paperwork yet again.

And her captain...

"I should have been there... where are you going now Gin?"

She shook her head.

A knock to the door and she sat up immediately, piling the stacks of paper into her lap to make it seem as if she had been working all along. Of course the ploy had never worked on her captain –he never knocked either- but she knew that she had to at least set up an example for her division as the sexy-but-talented lieutenant.

It was Kira.

The blonde blushed and began to look everywhere but at Matsumoto herself.

'Not even at my boobs...' her thought strayed unhelpfully. She put on the brightest smile she could manage at that point.

"What can I help you with Kira-kun?"

The third division's lieutenant seemed startle to hear her talk. It seemed as though he had mentally been preparing for an outright rejection before coming.

"Matsumoto-san... can we talk?"

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The first division's captain had made sure all the others had left before speaking. The old man's face was unreadable, the cloud-like eyebrows obscuring the eyes.

"It has come to my attention that you may play a vital role in Aizen's plans."

Denial died on Hitsugaya's tongue as the door closed behind him. Most of the shinigami that surrounded him were those of the first division, powerful in their own right but no match for the child prodigy.

But it would have been foolish to start a fight there in the heart of the first division.

Hyourinmaru pulsed weakly in his sheath, murmuring warnings for the tenth captain's ears.

Yamamoto nodded approvingly at Hitsugaya's choice of action.

"A wise choice Hitsugaya-taichou."

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They had gone to a small bar nearby and had ordered all the drinks it had to offer. It was empty so no one minded how loud they were when they started bashing Ichimaru Gin. They were drunk and were on the verge of being plastered when a momentary sobriety possessed Kira. He pushed away the next cup of sake and looked broodingly out the window.

Rangiku –who despite her antics had developed an inhumane tolerance for alcohol- noticed this and quickly paid for the bill.

They stumbled out of the bar leaning on each other as they finally stopped near a bench beneath a generic willow tree. Kira seemed to have lost all his previous thoughts and giggled continuously while Matsumoto lovingly nibbled at the rim of her sake bottle.

"-Hic- Matsumoto-san?"

'Kira must have never had the time to go out often.' Matsumoto thought idly as the paler blonde slithered into her lap. He seemed to have realized what he was doing for immediately he got off, somehow managing to look redder than before.

After a few seconds had passed by, Kira continued his original question. "Is it -hic- true...? -Hic- Hitsugaya-taichou I mean... -hic-"

Matsumoto frowned, not at all liking where this was going.

"What about Hitsugaya-taichou?"

Her only reply was a garbled recipe for making hangover cures –she'd have to ask him later- and a name that sounded suspiciously like 'Abarai Renji'. Hadn't she gotten a message in form of one of first division's hell butterflies about that? How she and Renji would be one of the six shinigami dispatched to the human world.

The sake bottle drops from her hand.

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He should have fought, he thought sullenly as shinigami reinforced their kido bindings. When this was done, Yamamoto himself checked the restraints to see that Hitsugaya wasn't going to break out any time soon.

The door opened behind them and Hitsugaya's heart flared in hope that someone would deliver him out of this hell.

It was Kurotsuchi Mayuri followed by his daughter Nemu. His stomach dropped as he saw the familiar swagger of the masked man. The pale hand held something covetously to shield it from prying eyes. Smiling –or at least Hitsugaya thought he was smiling- the man proudly dangled the object in front of the teen's face.

Clutched firmly between Mayuri's fingers was what looked like a black marble, or an eye dipped in black dye. Mayuri chuckled nastily as he marked an 'x' over his stomach with a painted nail.

"Think of it as a failsafe Hitsugaya-kun. We wouldn't want you to turn to their side now do we...?"

Nemu moved next to Hitsugaya's head. The demure lieutenant apologized before sticking a needle into his neck. Both she and Lieutenant Sasakibe had to hold him down while the drug took its effects. The white-haired captain's body stiffening then calming as the sedative pumped through his system.

"This is a modified soul-hollow hybrid to counter traitor Aizen's orb of distortion." There was a certain note of pride as Mayuri explained. "Yamamoto-taichou has so generously granted me the permission to experiment with mod-souls and the end result was..." the black orb winked briefly at him. "It is a prototype of its kind but I'm sure... it will be more than enough when the time comes."

"I'm not a cruel man Hitsugaya-kun, just watching out for the good of seireitei." Yamamoto gave a signal for Mayuri to go forward. The two lieutenants moved back.

Mayuri dropped the object over Hitsugaya's stomach –it seemed to float there in the air- and gently nudged it downwards. "This will keep you bound to our cause I hope. Otherwise we will have to take drastic measures."

'_The hell? This isn't drastic enough?'_

_::Silence, I need to...::_

The cane in Yamamoto's hands assumed its sword like one briefly before turning back.

'_Plan B oh-mighty one?'_

_::He's not listening...::_

'_Again'_

Hitsugaya watched unperturbed as the black globe dropped down into his stomach. The air above his belly button rippled, replicating the effects of hot and cold air merging together into one. The sphere disappeared from view and his abdomen gave a small quiver as it forced to assimilate with the alien substance. He could already feel the strings of his reiatsu disappearing as the hybrid began to tug on his very soul.

"I will not have you fall into their hands. I cannot let you leave seireitei unscathed but I can give you a choice of death. Stay here with a chance that the final battle will be won soon or go to the human world and seek out those who might be able to help you."

"You..." Hitsugaya's voice was dry and hollow, seeming as if someone altogether was speaking through his mouth. "You would have an ex-captain take the blame for my death?" Yamamoto raised a bushy eyebrow, slightly surprised that the boy had replied at all. Kurotsuchi Mayuri backed away, almost giggling as blackness began to spread across the thick veins coiling the tenth captain's stomach.

"Not at all," Yamamoto smoothly replied. He opened his wrinkled and scarred hands. A black butterfly unfurled its wings, attentive and waiting for further instructions. "I just trust that you will make the right decision."

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Matsumoto had been pacing in the office ever since all of the remaining captains had returned from the meeting and hers had not returned. 5th seat Watanabe Noboru eyed her nervously as she bit at her lips, twisting the cold chain around her sternum as she waited for the familiar, chest-height shinigami.

He never made it back that night.

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**A.C.:** -smiles- as always, review x3 


	9. Scene 9

**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be here if I did

**A.C.: **Midterms are over, on with... TOEFL -rolls eyes- oh yeah, I might have to take SAT again too. Expect... angst and frustration... maybe... who knows, I might just write lots of crack from pressure. Heh, to think that I used to right humor/crack... I've come a long way haven't I? -goes back to memorizing vocabs-

Something's wrong with this chapter, just can't put my finger on it...

As always, thanks for the wonderful reviews ㅅ-ㅅ

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

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Ukitake Jyuushiro refrained from shouting out loud when he first saw Hitsugaya standing side-by-side with the twelfth's captain. 

The sickly shinigami's first thought had been to convey the messages from the tenth division that had come through Hell Butterflies. However, when he saw the grim look on Captain Yamamoto's face while sitting on his chair in the front, he immediately fanned out in a half-circle behind the two other captains along with his colleagues.

The space beside him felt horribly empty. He had no love for the mad scientist of Gotei 13's captains, but it did not sit right with him when he saw the man standing beside the green-eyed prodigy. Kyouraku Shunsui noticed this and shot his long-time best friend a quieting look.

Ukitake settled down once Captain Yamamoto began to speak.

Ukitake had thought that after the betrayal of three captains there would be nothing on his dimension or the other that could have possibly surprised him. Yamamoto had proven him wrong with his next words. The aged captain had once again demonstrated the lengths he would go to in order to ensure the survival of Soul Society and himself.

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"_Get up."_

_He dug his heels against the ground as he got up, fingers tightening around the hilt of his zanpakuto as he looked up sullenly at the shinigami in front of him. The man looked back down at him impassively, spitting over to the side as he signaled him forward. "Come on Toushiro..." he coaxed tauntingly, shoulders tense. "Get up." _

_Hitsugaya gritted his teeth and got up but did not go forward. He knew what the results would be if he did. He needed a plan and fast. With a clang of metal on metal, he met the other shinigami head on, being forced into the air when he was thrown back from recoil. He landed lightly on his feet and dodged, as geysers of water began to shoot up from the ground. _

"_You can't run for ever."_

_Hitsugaya cut through a tower of water burning his hand in process. The other shinigami struck his zanpakuto in an upwards motion, fusing the flow into one massive serpentine creature. The water-snake snapped its jaws at Hitsugaya, thoroughly soaking his haori in boiling water as he fought to keep away from its coiling body. He immediately threw the haori off and threw it at the serpent. The serpent played with the offering for a while, allowing Hitsugaya to bypass its front half and above its second when it lost interest and renewed its attack._

_Biting back a scream Hitsugaya tried to keep the dripping fangs at bay, aware that just by touching him the serpent could possibly kill him or worse. Boiling liquid poured down from above and the white-haired captain gaped, just trying to regain his breath as his skin took on an unnaturally red glow. _

_He had to move before the snake could wrap around him. If it did, it was game over and back to square one for the captain of the tenth division. _

"_Sit upon the frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!" the air and water around him cooled and froze for a second before reheating. But the split second was enough for Hitsugaya to jump clear of his watery hell and out into the open air. _

_The apparition's fangs grazed him by inches as he struck down with his sword. The snake's head split in half and wrapped around him, reforming with Hitsugaya trapped in its mouth. Hitsugaya couldn't breath as hot water poured into his lungs and stomach. He flailed in the water, an arm or a leg occasionally sticking out of the snake's head as it kept its mouth shut until the heat of the water wore the young captain down. _

_Soon the kicks became occasional twitches and the other shinigami felt it was safe to let him go. The snake fell apart into an enormous pond of steaming liquid. Hitsugaya floated dazed in the middle. _

"_I think this would make a nice hot springs eh To-u-shi-ro?" _

_The water was still hot but cooling down at a rapid pace. The man shrugged and began to walk on the water, tapping the green-eyed captain's head with his sheath to poke him awake. Gotei 13's youngest captain muttered something out loud. The dark haired man strained to catch it and failed. He squatted down by the younger shinigami's side, tugging at the too-pale hair. "You alive Shiro-chan?"_

_A hand snapped up and caught the man by the collar. It tugged him down into an eye to eye level with the prodigy captain. _

"_Seal this world in a field of ice, Hyourinmaru."_

_The world froze._

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"...If that is true I am indeed sorry Hitsugaya-kun."

"Ku ku ku, I'm afraid Hitsugaya-kun is a little drugged up at the moment. I'm sure the gesture is appreciated all the same."

"How could you, he is a child."

"He is a captain. We are prepared to throw down our lives before Seireitei... some sooner than others."

"Tsk."

"But why him?"

"It's either him or us."

"...still a captain, this shouldn't have happened."

"It's because it's him isn't it? He ain't a **proper **shinigami."

"_Quiet all of you._"

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Matsumoto Rangiku had nearly worn a hole through the floor with her pacing. Madarame Ikkaku had long since given up on counting the busty lieutenant's turns and Asegawa Yumichika was busy trying to polish his nails.

Kuchiki Rukia let out a sigh.

Kurotsuchi Nemu entered the room followed by a submissive captain of the tenth division.

Matsumoto gaped for a minute before rushing to his side.

"Captain, where have you been?!"

Hitsugaya blinked slowly as if trying to remember something important. The three others noticed the unusual behavior and came to investigate, accidentally bumping against the blonde and pushing her enormous cleavage into the white-haired captain's face.

Hitsugaya did not react at all.

Matsumoto's jaws dropped open.

Amidst Ikkaku's offhand comment of 'Maybe he's finally realizing how good he's got.', she pulled her captain free of her assets and looked at him. He looked back twitching, his normally vibrant eyes glassy and hazed with confusion.

Seeing as how she wouldn't get the answers from her captain in his current state she looked to Nemu for answers, her face contorted with worry and half-anger. The melancholy girl met her gaze steadily and produced a small plastic bottle from beneath her lieutenant badge. The glass was black, the liquid inside viscous and sluggish like tar. Rangiku could have sworn she saw a small air bubble pop like an ugly wart before smoothing down into the oily surface.

Reluctant to hide that anywhere on her person, she held the vial in her fist and brought her captain towards the chairs and sat him down. Nemu looked at them both with unreadable green eyes. Yumichika glared into the artificial green until she broke eye contact with him.

"It's for when the pain gets too much," she echoed softly. She bowed and left, disappearing through the doorway.

Renji came moments later, bewildered at the tense atmosphere of the room.

"Guys...?"

-

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So six shinigami had just decided to crash into his room before leaving.

He was going to have to see those six faces in school.

Rukia was going to live with him.

He still lived with his father.

His life was a party.

"So why are you here again?"

"Supervision."

"Supervision," Ichigo repeated in disbelief. "You have two shinigami capable of summoning a bankai, one lieutenant and two more capable shikai users. Just how much supervision do you need?"

"You'd be surprised," Hitsugaya replied dryly, "now hurry up; I want to get there before Matsumoto finds out that I'm gone." The shorter teen sped up and broke out into a run down the streets. Ichigo caught up with the earth-bound captain moments later by the crosswalk waiting for the lights to turn green.

"Geeze," Ichigo huffed, slinging his backpack behind him. "What's your hurry? Matsumoto-san won't be out of there for hours." The young captain had left his lieutenant with Orihime going over the human girl's accessories and make-up box. From experience, Ichigo knew that they could be gone for hours before the blonde noticed that they were gone.

Hitsugaya snorted at Ichigo's nonchalance.

"She could easily left her gigai in the bathroom to come search in her soul form."

Ichigo looked down at the white-haired captain's small form. The kid was too thin, he reflected briefly before looking across the crosswalk to a crowd of people waiting on the other side. True Hitsugaya was one of the more level-headed captains and the most likely to keep cool in the chaos of the human world but Ichigo didn't get why they had to send a kid, who seemed to be striving to be Captain Ukitake the _second_, to help with war efforts in the human world.

Rukia was almost two hundred, what did that make Toushiro?

"She's your lieutenant, what can she possibly do?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth regretted it. Ichigo could think of a number of things the buxom lieutenant of the tenth division could do in the real –to him anyways- world.

The light flickered green.

"You have absolutely no idea do you Kurosaki?"

"Hey, she's just worried about you."

They walked in silence until coming up onto a familiar candy store.

"I know."

-

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"I am in need of your services former captain Urahara Kisuke."

And as Ichigo looked around in the shop, Hitsugaya began to explain the situation at hand. He left out most of the details concerning his involvement but emphasized that he needed something desperately to stabilize his reiatsu. Growling a little when he got to the 'three traitors' part, he outlined the plans of Gotei 13. By the time he finished, the blonde man was struggling to keep a smile off of his face.

"Nuh uh uh" Urahara said wagging his fingers. "You're not telling the truth, I can tell."

Hitsugaya sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.

"The truth is that you're a pain." The white-haired captain deadpanned. "They used the gigai and the orb incident to kick you out before you drove them insane."

"That's entirely plausible... hey...!"

Feeling a migraine coming on, Hitsugaya released the hell butterfly from his pockets. He let it flutter in midair before prodding it to reproduce the message sent by Captain Yamamoto.

"Zzz... ex-captain Urahara, you are needed for you services."

It was clearly the first division Captain's voice. Urahara tensed, his hand tightening unconsciously around the sealed form of Benihime. Listening to the rather terse explanation, the blonde turned to the prodigy raising his eyebrow.

"You came all the way over here just to grow up?"

Hitsugaya looked away blushing.

-

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"... This is something I haven't used in a long time but it should give you the results you need..."

Ichigo, who had been listening to the conversation, chose this moment to break in. "Hey wait a minute!" Ichigo burst out, pointing accusingly at the small beaker in Hitsugaya's hands. "You mean all this time you could have just given me the damned thing?!"

Urahara came up from behind Ichigo and tapped him on the head with his cane.

"But where's the fun in that?" the blonde chirped, sort of twirling towards the white haired captain. Ichigo growled and rubbed the place he had been struck. Before the strawberry-blonde could retort however, Urahara added mockingly "Unless you're that desperate to die."

Hitsugaya, who had been sipping the contents of the beaker with a dubious expression, spat most of it out upon the announcement. The oily liquid hit the floor. Hitsugaya noticed that it seemed to eat though the wood. Ichigo joined him in backing away as Ururu scurried about wiping up the spillage.

Urahara laughed and tapped his green-and-white bucket hat with his cane when Hitsugaya held the half-empty beaker out to him.

"It won't kill you chibi-taichou. The elixir works as a sort of an extreme aging potion, too strong for to be used on humans but just enough to get you on your way into the wonderful world of adults."

Hitsugaya somehow doubted all of that.

Ichigo, realizing that the boards hadn't been eaten through and just aged to the point of becoming dust, ventured slowly

"So... if I drank it, it'd make me an old geezer like you?"

Urahara again sneaked up on the other blonde and thwacked him –twice- across the back of the head.

"Please, you'd be lucky to have a pile of bones left after you drink it."

The look on Urahara's face was enough for Hitsugaya to believe him. Sighing, the green-eyed captain held his breath and dumped the elixir down his throat.

-

-

"So they've sent reinforcements into the real world I see... I'm surprised they would risk Hitsugaya-taichou in this mission..."

"Want me ta go take care of 'em?"

"No... I believe someone's already seen to that."

"Pity... wouldn' have minded seein' him again."


	10. Scene 10

**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be here if I did

**A.C.: **Meh, it was originally longer but now I thought the end was fine as it is right now.

Enjoy x3

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

-

**Altersuperego**- quality violence xD your questions will be more or less answered in later chapters but... the thing that Yamamoto and Mayuri did to him? It's supposed to kill you sooner or later.

**Artemyl**- exactly

**SilverWhiteDragon**- Ichimaru will show up sooner or later -sighs- probably to warp everything out of proportions I bet

**Lil' Miss B-** Well I can't answer... -counts- err majority of the questions because that would give lot of the stuff away (and gets answered in later chapters) but the Zanpakuto thing was a theory on well... since Hyourinmaru is titled to be the strongest of water and ice families so there has to be a reason for that right? You can't just have a kid running around with a sword and say that that sword is the strongest so I figure some of them get handed down... and know each other and stuff.

And no, you're not... not smart? Unintelligent? It could be that I have a really vague style and that... I'm probably the only one who knows what's going on right?

Thanks GintaxAlvissForever, Meggie, Enhlee, and all the unnamed people who reviewed a few chapters back. You guys rock xD

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-

-

* * *

"You're still short." 

It was the first thing that tumbled out of Ichigo's mouth when they exited the shop with Urahara Kisuke's cheery wave aimed at their backs. The substitute shinigami knew that he had gone too far when the air surrounding them plummeted in temperature. Still Hitsugaya did little more to acknowledge him save a customary grunt to let the strawberry-blonde know that yes, he did hear and no, he wasn't happy about it.

"So you're going to turn into an old man overnight?"

The tenth division captain nearly slammed his skull repeatedly against the power pole when Ichigo failed to take the hint --now if he could only figure out who the 'he' was. It became colder with Hitsugaya's reiatsu raising its head to join in on the effort. Ichigo didn't even seem to notice. In fact, he leaned in closer towards the short captain.

In hindsight Hitsugaya realized that this was what Kurosaki had been aiming for. It was summer and therefore extremely hot out. All associates of Seireitei had found a portable air conditioning in Hitsugaya as they never failed to invite him over one thing or another during the long sunny months of summer. It didn't look like the fact would change in Karakura either.

-

-

Hyourinmaru breathed uneasily, all the ice in his lungs seemed to rattle inconsistently as he took in a breath and breathed out. The silver pools all around him rippled in coordinance with the dragon's respiration.

'Oy.'

When the dragon did little more than to bat an eye the man knelt down by a pool of silver, his hand a hairbreadth away from the surface. The man's hand turned gray and into liquid. Like the stagnant pool of not-water he too melted until there was no trace of the shinigami having been there.

Hyourinmaru twitched the end of his tail. Ice began to rise from the earth forming a barrier around the dead pools of glowing silver. He closed his eyes surrounded by a sea of memories knowing that it was only a matter of time before he would be summoned.

-

-

Politely declining that he wasn't hungry, Hitsugaya made himself home on the apartment roof. Finally alone, he held his head between his knees as the two women below began to celebrate their newfound sisterhood. Uncurling from his position, he knew that he couldn't pin his migraine on Matsumoto this time.

Hitsugaya hacked, choking on his own saliva before rolling to his head to the side. It wouldn't have surprised him if Yamamoto had planned this all out before hand. He gingerly felt his stomach and felt it strangely hot to the touch. Scowling, he pulled his shirt back down over his discolored front and leaned against the wall. His head against the cool concrete, his mind drifted as it always did when unoccupied by the loads of paperwork perched on his desk everyday like hungry vultures. He thought it would be funny, death by paperwork. He wondered if there wasn't a paperwork based Hollow out there, something that even Zaraki Kenpachi would be hard-pressed to face.

Hollows?

::Yes...::

They were faint but...

"Matsumoto, we have a problem."

-

-

"You called captain?

"Shut up and look."

And look she did. Her senses stretched to the limits as the map of Karakura town became alive with globes of light in her mind. Some were extraordinarily bright like those of her colleagues. Others were subdued, denizens that have yet to awaken their spiritual powers. Still many others went about their way like ghostly fog and she saw it. The steady beat of a hollow's heart like the pounding of war drums in her ears. The colorless will-o-wisps overlaid the original layer of soft-amber glow. Matsumoto stiffened and breathed out sharply.

Hollows, stationed all over Karakura town in a strategic position. They already knew that they were there.

"Captain..."

"I know!" Hitsugaya snapped, his fingers twisted in his school shirt. The pain in his gut was wearing his patience thin with each second but he knew that this was important. After this, he promised himself, after taking care of the Hollows he could crawl up into a corner somewhere and sleep.

"Should I alert the others?" Hitsugaya hesitated, unable to decide that which would be worse. Letting the shinigami under his command be ambushed by the approaching Hollows or tip the Hollows off with unnecessary movement?

"Do it, but tell them to hold their positions." He jerked his head towards the bright streetlights of the town. "The last thing we need is to set this thing off." Matsumoto nodded and after a terse conversation, she felt some of the stronger lights dim.

In the starry skies, a patch of black unmarked by a spot of light crumpled open as if someone's unseen hands had pried apart the very heavens. It was like comparing a dying candlelight to a comet, a divergence in power too extraordinary to relate to. perhaps half a dozen points of flames scattered across the town.

"Greetings."

Hitsugaya popped a soul candy into his mouth.

"Get Inoue out of here!"

If Hitsugaya thought that the pain would go away with the dissimilation of his body, he was wrong. The initial pain had been purged from his stomach but nothing would have prepared for the agony of having in course through his body. He choked and in a stroke of incredible luck, dodged the obese-looking arrancar's blow.

"Bankai... Daiguren Hyourinmaru."

Twelve petals floated behind him in a group of threes. Hitsugaya saw that already, the petals farthest to the left was eroding, freckles of snow melting away into the air.

"Captain!"

He jerked his head back, catching a glimpse of his physical double curled up into a fetal position on the ground.

A palm stroke to his chest nearly made him black out.

He slammed against the concrete wall before sliding down onto the ground. He shook his head disoriented when a muffled shout came through the metal door of the rooftop entrance.

"Matsumoto-san, Hitsugaya...!!" Orihime threw open the door. Immediately, the arrancar locked on to her. Moving quickly for someone his size, the arrancar made its way over to the strawberry-blonde and made a motion to grab at her hair. Hitsugaya shoved the girl back bodily as the fat arrancar gripped him by the neck. He fervently hoped that she didn't fall down the stairs. It wouldn't have been fun explaining how the girl was saved from strangulation by an arrancar only to break her neck from falling down the stairs.

As if sensing his opponent's distraction, the thick fingers tightened.

"I am Nakim, who are you?"

In an instant, a sword was at his throat digging into the bulky flesh.

"Lieutenant of the tenth division, Matsumoto Rangiku, your opponent is me arrancar."

-

-

Hitsugaya's body crawled over to him aided by Rangiku's gigai. Hitsugaya hissed loudly when his body latched on to his arm.

"Take Inoue and go hide somewhere safe." His body shook its head in a silent negative. The only physical exit –provided that they didn't jump down half a dozen story- had been thoroughly demolished. He saw the telltale flash of Orihime's tangerine hair sticking out from the ruined doorway. The two bodies moved over to where Orihime was hiding when Matsumoto landed at their feet with a pained grunt.

They froze.

Nakim stood over them with a look of quiet satisfaction on his face. The phone in Matsumoto's hand sputtered out a few 'Lieutenant?'s before dying away into a static fizzle.

Hitsugaya pried himself off the wall and swung his sword into an arc. An icy form of Hyourinmaru burst forth from the vacuum created by the slash, its maw agape launched directly at the surprised looking Arrancar's face. Hitsugaya didn't wait for the ice dragon to hit. He moved his katana alongside the tapering body and struck it across the Arrancar's hollow mask.

The second arrancar intervened, standing in front of the first. His hand was frozen and shackled in chain of silver ice but otherwise unharmed from blocking Hyourinmaru with his bare hand. The arrancar's hold tightened around the zanpakuto as he pulled it nearer, almost forcing Hitsugaya to his knees.

"Eleventh arrancar, Shawlong Qufang."

"Tenth division captain, Hitsugaya Toushiro."

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes and jumped back, dragging Matsumoto with him. She landed halfway on his legs before rising unsteadily to his knees. She was immediately tended to by Orihime and the two soulless bodies, though she tried in vain to wave them away.

"Can you hold?" he asked in concern as the familiar bubble of Orihime's healing powers encased the injured lieutenant. Matsumoto bit her lips as the cuts and bruises closed and faded. When she thought it was enough, she stopped the human girl, asking her to save it for when their fight was over. Turning to her captain, she quickly dialed the twelfth division and replied

"Yes."

Hitsugaya took to the air as Matsumoto took on the larger arrancar. The only escape route off of the roof had been sealed. They would have to do their best to protect their bodies and Orihime. Alarmed shouts below as Matsumoto dodged and wove around Nakim's fist. Tearing his attention away from the fight the green-eyed prodigy gritted his teeth as he faced off with the strange oriental looking arrancar.

And all around him, storms of reiatsu appeared as the first battle in the war against Aizen started.

-

-

"Hard isn't it?" Shawlong commented breezily as he brushed the ice off of his shoulders. "You are but a child; it must be difficult to maintain that primitive bankai of yours when you have no reiatsu to speak of." The arrancar's only reply was a series harsh breathing from Hitsugaya's throat. Rolling his shoulders in a slight shrugging motion the thin arrancar pointed his blade up into the sky. "What a shame... but it looks like you've finally reached your limit." The almost-human form struck, Hitsugaya blocked with Hyourinmaru just barely standing his ground as he was pushed backwards and into the air. Sparks flew as steel ground upon steel; they broke apart, silently regarding each other as they probed for weaknesses they could exploit. "They're disappearing," Shawlong continued, pointing a lazy hand at the lone flower behind Hitsugaya's wings.

Hitsugaya looked back; one of the four petals was already disintegrating. He swallowed,

"And what if they are?"

Shawlong smiled as if he found the brave front the boy put up amusing.

"I was thinking, the flowers behind you served an important purpose. A 'countdown' until your bankai is finished." The arrancar appeared behind Hitsugaya, his katana halfway through one of the young captain's wings. "Am I wrong?"

'_Behindyouhesatthebackgetawayquickbeforehegetsyouhurry...'_

-

-

"Byakuya-kun," greeted the black cat as a dark-haired noble came gliding out of the shadows. She sat by his feet letting out an amused purr at the slight look of confusion that passed through his eyes. Rubbing her body briefly against his heels she asked, "I'm afraid I have no spare clothes at the moment so this will have to do. Spill it, why did you call me?"

-

-

"You're right," answered the green-eyed prodigy as the arrancar pulled back in alarm. There was something there, something that had not been there before. Shawlong felt apprehension, something that he had not felt the whole time he was toying with the young captain. "This is a countdown." Hitsugaya licked the blood off his lips. "Would you like to know what it's for?"

A shrill scream alerted him to the situation below. Orihime, Matsumoto lay still beneath the first arrancar's foot.

All thoughts of the long-haired arrancar fled his mind as he suddenly dropped down from the sky. Ignoring the slashes aimed at his spine that found their mark; he sent the first arrancar off of the rooftop with a flying tackle. Breathing heavily, he landed beside the huddled three where Matsumoto's gigai was starting to bawl from seeing its master hurt. He flipped his lieutenant on to her back.

Matsumoto was injured but not dead though her bare shoulders suggested a dislocated shoulder and perhaps a broken collarbone. Her blue-gray eyes sharpened as they focused on Hitsugaya's own and before she could cry out his name –before any of the rest could cry out his name- he pivoted on his clawed feet and brought his wings forward.

By all rights he should have died as the two cero blasts completely shattered his wings.


	11. Scene 11

**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be here if I did

**A.C.: **I miss Hitsugaya... he never really comes out in the manga anymore...

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

-

**Altersuperego-** thanks and no, that wasn't Hyourinmaru.

::Zanpakuto speech::

'Mental-memory-everything-else-speech'

"Normal speech"

Thank you GintaxAlvissForever, SilverWhiteDragon, phppsmss, Nire Sanam, andrewhot, Rasgara and izzy 283 for reviewing, hope you enjoy x3

* * *

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* * *

This... was not supposed to be happening. Or so he told himself as he watched the fog filter through the ice. He knew what it was of course; he had been thoroughly acquainted with it in life and in death. But he had no idea what it was doing here of all places and why the hell Hyourinmaru was not responding to his calls. 

'_Do it yourself shinigami, you have a perfectly good set of arms and legs.'_ He gritted his teeth putting a hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto. And as he did, he felt the blade come alive in his fingers once more --death and beyond would they ever part.

::Let them come,:: the echo of his zanpakuto whispered in his mind. ::I will protect you, let them come.::

'It's a promise.' He said out loud, unsheathing the only one in the world who understood what he had gone through.

The hollow reared its ugly head. It was dark, completely covered in patches of smoke and black. It blinked its cloudy eye and squinted through the barrier, swinging its claw left and right as it began to take on a more solid form in the realm --their realm. The ice began to evaporate, the hollow looking in obvious delight as the dome fell apart like a cracked egg. The man charged, his zanpakuto drawn out and extending as he roared out the incarnation to an initial release.

And while he knew that he was but a memory lost in the mind of another, he hoped that it would be enough to save Toushiro's soul from his fate.

-

-

The last petal withered away into nothingness but the snow familiar bankai did not shatter as Shawlong had predicted. Hitsugaya raised his left hand and slowly wiped it across his cheeks, his nails lightly scraping the bloody gouges that had not been there just a moment before. Rubbing the dried flecks of blood between his index finger and the thumb, he let his blood-covered hand fall harmlessly back to his side. Briefly, Hitsugaya stared back at his companions, his eyes searching for where the flowers should have been had he not gone over the limit. But there were no ominous marks of his limitations still remaining in the air, Shawlong had been right but for the wrong reason. The petals did serve as a countdown, just not the one that the arrancar had imposed on the young captain.

Around him, everyone remained quiet. Even Hyourinmaru seemed to be straining against the sudden increase of power the destruction of the ice flowers had brought. Orihime shook nervously in her spot, wedged between the bodies of the tenth division lieutenant and of the tenth's captain. She wanted to go help them, even if the only thing she could possibly do was to create distraction in between healing the two shinigami officers. But for whatever reasons Hitsugaya's body stopped her from going to her wounded protectors. The blonde faux-body stood protectively in front of both, her eyes so empty and blank compared to when Matsumoto had inhabited it.

"They told us to protect you." Hitsugaya's voice was oddly husky and the human girl turned towards him in surprise. "Wait."

-

-

Matsumoto Rangiku, the current lieutenant of the tenth division, laid against the cold concrete, her hand stretched towards the back of her captain's torn haori. Never in her life had she seen the jagged edges of what appeared to be bones protruding from the broken ice. The skeletal frames fluttered as if they were sighing. They slowly straightened, the ivory white now coated in ice. Serrated fragments birthed more and soon the proud wings were restored to their original state. She could still see the bones beneath them. Hitsugaya bowed his head, his face expressionless.

He looked back at Rangiku with his green eyes noting that her wounds, while terrible, weren't life threatening. Satisfied, he took a step forward. The arrancars took a step back. He put another foot in front of himself but it seemed as though he had taken a leap for he appeared a second later behind the two arrancars, Hyourinmaru clenched loosely in his hands and his liquid-ice tail trailing languidly behind him. Shawlong and Nakim looked shakily at the boy genius; Hitsugaya met their gazes evenly and snarled.

"_Ryuusenka_."

-

-

As the icy cocoons of arrancar burst apart, Matsumoto scrambled to her knees biting back the pain of her mangled shoulder. But her captain was already looking away, his face hidden in the half-light half-shadows of the stars, his face pointed towards the sky. She looked up in the general direction of his glare, her vision growing hazy with pain and blood loss. Just when she thought she could hold her head up no longer, she saw it.

A third arrancar

A ragged breath got caught in her throat as she kneeled over and pounded her chest. With a start, Orihime was instantly by her side, her hands flying soothingly over the torn skin of her back and shoulders as the familiar healing trance took hold of her body. Matsumoto struggled, her clogged senses alerting her that the arrancar above them was no ordinary foe.

Before she could stop him, Hitsugaya jumped into the air.

-

-

Across town Kurosaki Ichigo was fighting the sixth espada Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. He was alive and holding on but he had no delusions as to winning this particular battle. And with Rukia out of commission with a massive hole in her stomach, the situation was growing dire by the minute.

An explosion of power, distracted, Grimmjow stopped. Ichigo howled out 'getsuga tenshou' cutting the arrancar across the chest. The blue-eyed arrancar looked at substitute-shinigami in mild disgust as he blew him away with a cero blast. Stopping long enough to spit out "I'll deal with you later," the espada was off towards the horizon, following where ever the sudden surge of reiatsu had come from.

Ichigo collapsed to his knees in relief. He crawled over to where Rukia laid as she opened her eyes and offered him a shaky smile. Smiling back he pulled her limp body into his arms, his mind already plotting the fastest course to Orihime's home. His heart froze as he stood up with Rukia in his arms.

The direction the blue-haired arrancar headed was...

-

-

He flew up and the first thing he noticed was the arrancar's green eyes –-_a hollow, blood, a girl, a man, a secret, a death, a storm, a birth, a tragedy_. Something in him screamed to hold him back; another knew that this was the right way --the only way. Hyourinmaru growled, protesting. But the sweet lure of promise drew him away from everything else and sheltered him in a bubble of silence that he thought he could never claim again.

"Ryuusenka!"

Hitsugaya flew past the arrancar with an upwards strike and a minute blizzard where Hyourinmaru had passed. The arrancar said nothing as he dodged in midair. Hitsugaya curled on to his back and buffeted his wings. As the prodigy re-righted himself, Grimmjow appeared, his excited face waning when he saw the shadowed eyes of his pale-faced comrade awaiting him only meters away.

'_Killkillkillkill!'_

"Grimmjow," greeted the green-eyed arrancar curtly. Hitsugaya attacked and arrancar briefly held Hyourinmaru's blade in his hands before elbowing the young captain to get him out of the way. When the white-haired shinigami refused to let go of his zanpakuto, the arrancar released the katana from his grip, letting teen fall.

"Ulquiorra," grunted Grimmjow irritably. The blue-eyed arrancar knew that he was in trouble. If Aizen's little lapdog had been sent personally to retrieve him, the sentence of a permanent _caga negacion_ would be the least of his worries. Still, curious, the burlier arrancar observed the source of reiatsu he had been pursuing.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. The teen was remarkably powerful for his physical age but there was something wrong. The boy seemed incomplete in his eyes, not whole no... not real. He had felt the kind of reiatsu before but where? Perhaps it wasn't reiatsu at all but the killing intent that wrapped around the two espada. Grimmjow grinned; this was going to be fun. Maybe even better than the shinigami he left miles behind. His hand warm with the beginnings of a cero blast he was about to greet the captain with his personal 'hello' when Ulquiorra put a hand on his shoulders. Grimmjow growled deeply in his throat attempting to shake the other's grip off. If anything, the dark-haired arrancar's grip tightened, enough that the nails began to carve grooves into his shoulder and bite into the skin.

Hitsugaya struck, slamming his tail into Grimmjow's side as he brought Hyourinmaru down at the other arrancar's hollow mask. Ulquiorra jumped out of the way, his eyes widening imperceptibly as they bore into Hitsugaya's own.

'_You are...'_

"Lieutenant Matsumoto," the buxom blonde flipped her cell phone open, noticing the numbers crawling madly across the screen. "You've been cleared for…" immediately, she punched in Renji's numbers, too aware that the redhead was struggling against an enemy on the other side of the town.

Beside her, Hitsugaya's soulless body jerked up and stiffened upon the report. Slowly the preprogrammed modified soul groped his chest where an insignia of a flower had been carefully grafted on to the skin. A lily was revealed, stark black below his collarbone. Pressing a thumb on the stem of the flower the mod-soul called out,

"Lift the limit!!"

Hitsugaya jerked backwards. His mouth opened and closed multiple times but no words came out for he had none. His hand, originally intent on wrapping around the green-eyed arrancar's throat, withdrew to his chest, his neck, where the dark emblem of his division flower was --should have been. Bright lights were wavering in front of his eyes as if he had been struck hard across his head. And just a hairbreadth away from the dark haired arrancar's trailing hem, his bankai began to shatter.

He fell head first, what left of his wings flaring out under his body like the wings of an oversized bird of prey. Slowly the two arrancars retreated, a hideous gap leaving glimpses of a nightmarish desert in Hitsugaya's eyes. He sought to hold onto his depleted reiatsu, to maintain his wings and mobility as his tail melted away into the night's air. Grimmjow looked down at him, his face oddly calculating. The green-eyed arrancar –Ulquiorra, his mind whispered- tossed a dispassionate glance over his shoulder and pulled the wayward arrancar into the portal.

Hitsugaya blacked out.

-

-

'Why is this happening?' the man demanded. The dragon yawned lazily as he took up the position that had become all too familiar of late. Briefly nuzzling the sleeping boy's snowy hair Hyourinmaru bore his teeth at the other shinigami.

::Why does anything happen?::

'That's not normal; whatever the old man and the creep did to him it's...'

::Reincarnation is tricky:: commented Hyourinmaru cryptically.

'So?'

::It does not matter if Toushiro remembers::

The dragon's talons curled in anger,

::It never did::

-

-

Matsumoto caught her captain just before he plunged to the level of the sparse trees that lined the streets. Blood, overflowing even as she managed the fasted shunpo she could to get back to Orihime's side, spilt across her arms and splashed against her pink scarf. She thought to herself that she would demand a new scarf when her captain woke up --if he woke up at all. She shook her head as the healing bubble appeared over her captain's small body.

"Matsumoto-san, could you get his clothes off? They might get stuck in him if..." Matsumoto began to pull at the ruined haori. Orihime was watching in a horrified fascination as blood flooded the floor with the removal of the shinigami garb. Matsumoto had to agree. Her captain had not been bleeding as much when he had fought the three -four?- Arrancar.

'When he lifted the limit...' she realized slowly. Hitsugaya's body was staring intently down at his spiritual counterpart his face contorted in fear. Slowly she shifted the young captain to peel off the bloodied kimono. When the black cloth came apart at the seams and laid open beneath the young shinigami, the two women recoiled in dismay at what laid beneath.

Hitsugaya's stomach was black, an ugly black of a bruise trying to heal. Between the splatters of blue-black and violets were sick yellows the color of dried pus and greens reminiscent to a caterpillar the buxom blonde found one morning stuck to the heel of her zori. When Inoue Orihime's powers began to reach down to stimulate the affected area back to life, Hitsugaya protested weakly, his struggles getting more and more violent as the bruise-like colors capitulated to a tide of angry red. Both Matsumoto and Hitsugaya's body were holding him down as Hitsugaya let out a muffled screech. Fumbling, Matsumoto reached beneath her lieutenant's badge for a vial containing stagnant liquid.

'_For when the pain gets too much.'_

'Was this what you were talking about Nemu? What have you done to him?!'

What had _they_ done to him?

She unscrewed the cap, realizing in despair that there was no way to measure the dosage needed to sedate her captain. "Doses be damned," she reflected when she saw Hitsugaya's fist narrowly miss his own face. She tilted the vial over to spill what seemed like over half the liquid over her palms when she discovered the tar-like liquid clinging stubbornly on to the vial. The viscous material slowly –too slow- dripped on to her hand, to her surprise, the droplets solidified into pills. When she collected three from the glass she immediately stuffed it down Hitsugaya's throat praying that it would work.

It wasn't fast acting but it had its effects. Matsumoto wasn't sure if it was because of the pills themselves or because by that time Orihime had finished mostly with the torso, leaving only frost-edged gashes to look after. Then Kurosaki Ichigo had arrived with an unconscious Rukia in his arms and Hitsugaya just had to be a gentleman and wake up right on cue to move along.

Rangiku glared at him the whole time she was bandaging him.

He had simply looked away.

-

-

"Captain, you need to eat."

"The day I eat anything you give me is the day I go drinking with you."

"You drink the tea I give you."

"You usually make one of the lower officers to get it for you."

"Captain..." Hitsugaya opened his eyes crossly and found his lieutenant sitting on the other side of the couch. "You haven't eaten since you left seireitei. You don't even eat school lunch. Look I even got you something from the neat vending machines out there. You need to eat." Hitsugaya's glare softened as Matsumoto edged closer, a plastic bag hanging loosely from her elegant fingers. Hitsugaya turned his head away.

"I'm not hungry."

Matsumoto sighed gustily as she placed the plastic bag back on her lap.

"I know but you do need to eat something to keep up your strength. How are you going to grow up if you don't eat?"

At the mention of the word 'grow', Hitsugaya flinched. The blue-gray eyed blonde didn't miss it. Instead of pushing him about it, the blonde put the bag of food on the table and scooted closer to where Hitsugaya laid, playing with the bandage around his chest. The white-haired teen gave her a bored stare.

Rolling her eyes she pulled her captain closer to herself. Hitsugaya let out a half-hearted protest, wincing when her hand brushed his stomach. Her grip loosened as he let himself be cuddled to her chest. She patted his hair, much like one would do to an irritable cat.

"Then rest captain." Coaxed Matsumoto as she hugged Hitsugaya closer, "I promise I won't tell anyone about this." He could feel the cheeky grin radiating from her warm aura. But it was comfortable and he did make a promise to himself that he would get some sleep after fighting of the arrancar... as Hitsugaya finally began to drift Matsumoto asked, "You'll tell me later, right Captain?"

"Che, of course."


	12. Scene 12

**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be here if I did

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

**A.C.:** Yeah I'm sorry, the update's late but I had finals and the monitor died and you know... things just piled on top of another.

And it's my birthday today but I'll be in school, taking miserable-excuses-at-filling-up-hours for classes and be stuck taking additional classes till ten... And get home at eleven...

What a lovely life I lead...

-

**SilverWhiteDragon**- well update... late... umm you could say that at least I didn't abandon this thing altogether? –Is hopeful-

**Altersuperego**- -grumbles- you have no idea how long I've been waiting for someone to ask that... eh... you'll find out... soon enough.

Thank you GintaxAlvissForever, phppsmss, andrewhot, KageKokoro and kingleby for reviewing x3

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::Hyourinmaru is angry.::

"I do not see any problems with it."

::It is not safe for him to get angry.::

"And why not?"

::That is... difficult to explain::

Silence, and then

::He needs to awaken but he does not. He guards the boy as if it is something precious. He is forgetting the duty unto him and everyone else.::

"You are too old for such ponderings old friend."

::Not old! Not old that I have forgotten what must be done. Not old to forget that I will go on forever. But he acts as if he does not care. As if he is a child easy to replace!:: The draft of hot air cooled. ::What if...::

"If?"

Echoes bounce off.

Frustrating,

Infuriating,

::What if he is right?::

He cannot bear to say the word 'wrong'. That would mean that he was wrong and nothing could be more terrible than driving away his twin so carelessly.

The answering voice was raspy but quiet.

"Then we make it right."

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-

Three times he had gotten up in the night and squirmed out of Matsumato's warm embrace. Three times he had sprinted to the bathroom. Three times Matsumoto had followed, sleepy and bewildered, to see the white silhouette of her captain's head bobbing in and out of the flower-patterned toilet seat. Three times she had rubbed circles into his narrow back, unable to even dream of daring to turn on the light in fear of what she would find. She would have broken her shoulders and a thousand times more before she would have been able to gather enough courage to find the source of the spilt blood.

Dawn broke across the horizon in a haze of pink and fluorescent orange. It was not Matsumoto who stroked his spine now as he lay upon the cool tiles of the bathroom floor but Orihime. The ever optimistic girl who was trying to memorize the strange English words for a test they would have later that day. By the time Orihime had gotten up from her seat, it was morning. Hitsugaya had his head under the cold, jetting water of the bathtub and Matsumoto heating some of the foods she had purchased the night before.

-

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"Welcome home Grimmjow."

The pale blue haired arrancar scowled. All the menos-level arrancar he had dragged with him on his earthly excursion were dead. None of them were particularly valuable but they were -had been- the eldest and demanded respect. Beside him Tousen shifted and turned his vacant eyes –hidden by the shades- upon him.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" the man growled softly. Grimmjow shrugged.

"Nope."

"It's alright Tousen." Aizen soothed before a fight could break out. The dark-skinned shinigami swallowed a heaving gulp of air. Grimmjow smirked. "Now Ulquiorra, I believe you said you had something to show me?"

The green-eyed espada stepped out from the shadows bowing. The hems of his hakama skirting around his feet, Ulquiorra wedged his fingers into the left socket and pulled his eye out. The green-and-white eye collapsed beneath his grip and turned to dust. It began to loop around Aizen's head as the former captain closed his eyes.

"Interesting..." he said, few minutes into the arrancar's memory. "And what do you think of this Ulquiorra?"

"He is... dangerous. He drew me... to him."

"Well that's new," Grimmjow drawled sardonically, "The great Ulquiorra is acknowledging someone other than himself." Ulquiorra gave him a solemn look with his one remaining eye. Grimmjow crinkled his nose, mimicking a growl and silently laughed to himself when the other looked away.

Impatient, Tousen drew Suzumushi and held it out, blade forward, threateningly before Grimmjow. Grimmjow gave a snort of disbelief and spat sideways, an action that did not go unnoticed by the blind man. The chocolate fingers tightened around the woven hilt.

"Aizen-sama, I request the permission to execute this one."

Aizen opened his eyes, the burning hazel probing.

"Oh?"

"Hah, you go around spouting stuff about moral and justice bullshit and now you want to kill me just because you don't like me?"

"Moral justice is something that highly lack in. For justice without righteous moral is no different from senseless killings. However... murder in the name of moral justice is..." Tousen drew Suzumushi back to his side, almost as if he were going to sheath it. "Righteous." The man struck and cut Grimmjow's arm at the shoulders. As the sixth espada howled in surprise and pain, he burned the bloody limb with a kidou move.

"Shit, shit, shit!!" Grimmjow grasped the bleeding stub where his arm had once been. "You mother fucker I'll kill you!"

"Grimmjow."

Aizen's voice was more effective than any bucket of cold water that was ever invented. "If you assault Kaname here, then I'm afraid there is no way I can let you leave here alive."

Grimmjow's pupils widened before contracting. Spitting out a string of curses, he wisely walked away.

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Aizen was walking down the stairs to his chambers when he heard a familiar drawl.

"Playin' with your subordinates 'gain?"

"So you were listening, Gin."

The fox-faced man peeled himself off the wall.

"Tousen's gone all pissy again. Grimmy shouda known that he wouldn' like it..."

Aizen shrugged and instead of heading towards his rooms, he stood by the window, leaning out and taking in the breathless view of the desolate dunes of Hueco Mundos.

"Oh Gin?"

Gin stopped his chattering. "I need you to go check something out for me. Something very important..."

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Hitsugaya sat on the rooftops of the school building, concentrating over the small cell phone as he identified the attackers and skimmed through the reports. He pressed 'send' and was not surprised to feel twin blobs press against the back of his head. The hands came immediately after and covered his eyes.

Irritation

"Matsumoto... what are you doing?" the blonde lieutenant immediately danced out from behind her captain and peered into his face.

"Wow, I didn't even have to ask this time."

Hitsugaya grimaced and immediately squashed the urge to wrap his hand around his stomach. Unfortunately, Matsumoto had caught the slight twitch in his left hand. She tossed her hair over her shoulders before continuing.

"So... was it easy? Once your limit was lifted I mean."

Hitsugaya shrugged, silently contemplating her through the corner of his eyes.

"They were small fries," He dismissed finally, "only gillians."

"But the other two..."

"...The one with dark hair..."

The bell rang and Hitsugaya turned his cell phone off in reflex. Stretching his legs out, he jerked his head slightly towards the stairs.

"Come on, I don't want to be _late_ like we were in the morning."

"But captain...! I told you, I had no idea how those hair straightners ended up on your dispenser!"

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Kuchiki Byakuya looked around to make sure that they were not being watched. He produced an envelope from inside his haori and dropped it at his feet. Yoruichi sniffed it carefully and determined that it was a stack of paperwork. She flipped it over and flattened her ears on top of her skull.

"What is this...?"

The Shihouin seal stood out from the cream paper, black and very obvious.

"Go." Byakuya commanded, disappearing into the woods. "And don't get caught."

Yoruichi picked up the thick package as best as she could in her mouth and sped away.

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"Where _is _shorty anyways?"

"Now Ikkaku, that's no way to address a captain..."

"Bah we're running late. Abarai and Rangiku have already gone ahead."

"You're just mad because Tanaka-san called you bald. Strange that Matsumoto-san did not wait for Hitsugaya-taichou though."

Ikkaku grumbled out few choice words better left out of print.

"You're just jealous because Matsumoto-san chose Renji over you."

"Che shut up Yumi; Abarai's got no backbone that's all."

Hitsugaya felt a migraine coming on. He wished that he could ignore the two and deny that he had ever come with them in the first place. Slapping his face, he unsheathed this sword and blocked the blow originally meant for his head. He looked up with a grunt, his arm heavy now that his assaulter had made use of it as a perch and froze in fear at what he found there.

Not silver, not dark, not black, no reds, yellow, blue...

...It still didn't stop him from panicking.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens Hyourinmaru!"

The ice dragon came out as quickly as it was bid snapping furiously at the blonde who had been squatting on top of its sealed form only moments before. Suddenly realizing that they were in a public place Hitsugaya hid his katana as best as he could and ran after the icy apparition and the blonde that it followed.

Yumichika and Ikkaku gave a chase soon after.

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"Feisty aren't you?"

Deeper and deeper he plunged into the smoke until it obscured his eyes and distorted his senses. He no longer had any idea who he was chasing nor for what purposes. He simply ran.

::But why?:: a quiet voice asked giving his mind a quiet poke. ::A chase is pointless unless there is an objective but there is none. Why do you run?::

He didn't know and at that point he didn't care about anything except the wind blowing past him as cars honked in unison creating a cacophony that tailed him through his run. He had not a care in the world now because he had left it all behind, behind, beyond the smoke, beyond reach.

::This is not freedom. You are not free.:: the voice said quietly. ::Come with me and we shall fly. Do not forget the promises you've made and the ones I've made onto you. Come, let us fly.::

Cold, wasn't that what others felt in the winter? The profoundness shocked him. And slowly the smoke receded.

The blonde was smiling cheerfully as he came too, baring teeth that reminded him too much of a certain defector now risen once more in his mind. Hyourinmaru's chains had wrapped around the young man's legs, holding him fast to the ground. The blonde didn't seem to mind at all as he threw off a cero blast from his hand. Hitsugaya spun in midair and landed a few meters away.

A vizard...

"What are you doing here vizard?"

"Think the question is what are you doin' here." Hitsugaya looked around and found himself in a ruined warehouse furnished with metal drums and container boxes. A few curious heads popped up from here and there –vizards, Hitsugaya hissed- and the boy prodigy realized that he was trapped. Kicking off the last of the remaining ice from his feet the blonde tilted his hat slightly in greetings. "Welcome to our humble abode, I'm Hirako Shinji chibi-shinigami-san." He deftly dodged a chunk of ice thrown at his face. "Ehh don't do that..."

::Toushiro,:: Hyourinmaru said dryly ::You might want to look up...::

"What?"

And consequently he didn't hear the next words,

"...but we'll use force anyways."

The webbing, carrying wooden boxes, promptly snapped and landed on Hitsugaya's head.

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Hitsugaya groaned wondering if it had been a bad idea to come to the human world. Mentally tallying off his injuries he tried to sit up and found that he couldn't. Shinji loomed over him, the light from the dirty windows reflecting off his creepy grin. Without thinking he instantly acted and the temperature plummeted. Whoever had been on him immediately jumped off with a squeal and Hitsugaya was able to sigh in relief at the pressure now gone from his stomach.

"Well, now we know why they keep you around." The blonde slapped the young captain lightly on the chin. "You make a helluva air conditioner."

Hitsugaya's eyes rolled. "What do you want?"

Shinji squatted poignantly by the captain's head, one hand tucked under his chin and other drumming his cheek as if he was seriously contemplating something.

"Well pretty girls would be nice but for now, just you."

"What about me?" Was it just him or was the entire room spinning. He was pretty sure the blonde didn't have two heads or three... "Stop multiplying dammit," and closed his eyes to escape the lunacy he had woken up to.

"Eh?"

"Think he's got concussion," a gray-haired teenager offered, "I mean he did get hit pretty hard on the head."

"Oh well, we'll fix him up later. Give me a hand with him will ya Lisa?" a girl in a sailor fuku hmphed before kneeling by Hitsugaya's body. She was beginning to open the buttons on his school shirt when the young captain's hand shot up to stop hers. With a sickeningly cheery grin, Shinji pried the boy's fingers off and stared into Hitsugaya's now open eyes. "Now, now, be a good boy..." Lisa threw a leg over him and began to undo the bandaging around his chest and stomach. They had uncovered the severely bruised skin when the warehouse door opened allowing the sun to flood into the crumbling space. Shinji hissed comically at the sudden explosion of light. Kurosaki Ichigo stood as a shadow, framed by sunlight with a dumbstruck look upon his face.

"Uhh..." he then backpedaled, nearly landing on his back, as he tried to focus his sight on anywhere but at the three on the ground before him. Blushing Ichigo opted to look away and began to speak rapidly, "Umm look. I don't want to know. Don't tell me because I _really _don't want to know. It looks like you guys are kind of busy so you know what? I'm going to come back later. Better yet, I won't come back. I think I can take care of this hollow thing by myself, and sorry for disturbing you." He bowed and turned to go back the way he had come from. Perhaps some classes and pop quiz in English would allow him to wash out the images burned on to his retinas.

Had Hitsugaya been coherent, he would have screamed '_traitor_' and tried to find away a substitute shinigami could be tried as an officer for deserting his superior. But he, with the girl Lisa still straddling and feeling up his stomach, thought Ichigo probably had the right idea in getting out before his entire thought processing shut down. With Shinji gone to convince Ichigo that they weren't doing anything _too _explicit, Hitsugaya pushed the girl off of him with a scowl, his head feeling like it had been served up to Kurotsuchi Mayuri to dissect. Lisa huffed and stood up. A large man with pink hair asked him if he needed any healing, the white-haired captain refused and swung Hyourinmaru over his back. With the decisively snide snickers reverberating in his head, he exited the warehouse where he caught few tail ends of the conversations such as, 'perverts' and 'just Lisa'.

"If you're done, I'll be going now." Hitsugaya spoke up crankily; he gingerly fingered the top of his head and rubbed it the wrong way. He held his hand in front of his face and saw blood. Ichigo quickly left Shinji and stuck close to Hitsugaya's side.

"What was that all about?"

Hitsugaya simply snarled.

That night, contrary to the weather forecast's predictions, it had been the coldest of summer on record.

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::You look well.::

The air hummed with a strange sort of energy but it wasn't the hollow.

It was something much worse.

::But not awake.::

A soft cloud of ashes touched the icy barrier and seeped inside. Where the trail of smoke had gone, sparks of amber flame followed, licking at the protective ice eroding beneath the zanpakuto's touch.

Hyourinmaru curled his lips. With a burst of silver mist the other shinigami was at his side, staring nervously at the other zanpakuto's appearance.

::Will you not tell me why?::

::Typical of you:: Hyourinmaru rumbled vindictively ::attack first and ask questions later. Some things don't change and they never will.::

The fires retreated, almost thoughtfully.

::It did not have to be this way.::

::Of course _not._::

::You've changed::

::I am ice, I am water, I was _destined_ to change.::

"For the love of god Hyourinmaru, stop antagonizing him!"

As if noticing the man for the first time, the trail of fire burst and crackled into blue and white sparks. The man winced as drops of yellow and orange embers dropped through the ice.

::Why are you here shinigami?::

"Err..."

::You have no business within this child's mind, you are no longer belong... you are no longer needed.::

"Eh?"

::Ryuujin Jakka.:: Hyourinmaru breathed, the cold steam like breath rolling over the dark-haired death god. The crimson eyes had enlarged. They looked horrible, terrifying, and more alive than the ice dragon had ever permitted himself to feel. ::You...::

And it was the ripping gales of a storm Ryuujin Jakka fled from as the snow smothered the heat under its giant claws.

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The arrancar attacked them as soon as they approached the edges of downtown. A female arrancar, inexperienced, young and brash, drove her fist into the concrete pavement before jumping away, delighted at the broken crater that she had created. One of the older ones berated her, calmly sizing up its prey before launching an experimental cero blast at their feet.

Ichigo put a soul candy in his mouth and kicked his body away towards a presumably 'safe' direction. Hitsugaya slid Hyourinmaru against the neck of a blonde arrancar. The arrancar dodged and contorted his body into binding Hyourinmaru against his thighs. A quick burst of icy reiatsu changed all that and Ichigo threw himself into the battle, swiftly taking out the first arrancar who instigated the assault.

"Shoot to kill, Shinsou!"

"Kurosaki!"

With a grunt, the orange-haired death god swung his zanpakuto in front of himself in a defensive position. The divine spear slammed into the cleaver-like blade, piercing the black metal and creating a minute fissure upon its surface. Ichigo was pushed back, his feet skidding against the ground in a vain attempt of holding his ground. When the captain-level shikai withdrew, a crowd of arrancar floated down around the strawberry blonde, sneering.

"S' been a long time ' Gaya."

"Ichimaru... Gin."

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**A.C.:** ugh that was... really long. So give into the guilt and charity that's tugging at your soul and leave a review? x3 


	13. Scene 13

**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be here if I did

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

**A.C.:** ah... -laughs- my break ends tomorrow, 29 days of summer fun... when I wasn't literally melting under the heat. Thanks for the reviews everyone, they really make my day xD

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**Arexia-** yeah grammar. I do try and catch them but I'm only human the last time I checked. Thus miserably fallible...

**Windlily**- Thanks. The vizard part will come up when Ichigo re-gathers whatever courage he had to visit the vizards again. think I scared him off for good though -winces- ehh so sit tight. x3

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"Ichimaru... Gin." 

The former captain of the third division was dressed in a winter coat, out of place in the torpid weather but in a way as if it was entirely the weather's fault that it did not conform to his state of dress. The high -and wooly- collar hid most of the man's face save for a gleam of pearly white teeth that stood out against everything else.

Hitsugaya's breathing quickened, the harsh gasps coming out in curls of fine mist. Perhaps Gin had dressed appropriately for the occasion after all. The former captain sheathed his zanpakuto and stepped forward. Hitsugaya put a foot back. The boy-captain could dimly hear Ichigo's shouts over the pained squeals of the arrancar Gin had brought with him. He fumbled with a dispenser in his hand, a one with a ruined lion's head that had met its untimely death through Matsumoto's hair irons. Gin closed in and slammed him against the wall. The teen's head snapped backwards with a loud crack. Wrists scraping against the uneven concrete, the dispenser clattered uselessly to the ground.

"Nuh, uh, uh." Gin cooed nastily. The collar on his neck –the one he had forgotten of late- throbbed hotly over his skin. The cold air intensified around them. A quirk of the eyebrows was the only reaction the fox-faced man gave. A hand came up and almost tenderly brushed against the side of Hitsugaya's ashen face. The hand was unnaturally smooth, cool and leathery to touch. It wasn't a hand at all.

A glove, intended to force a shinigami out of his or her body.

Without warning Gin plunged his fist into the young captain's stomach.

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"_What would you have done?"_

'_Hmm?'_

_The dark haired shinigami sat up and shook the web of frost from his hair._

"_What would you have done," Hitsugaya repeated, slower this time. "If you had been me."_

_The man shrugged and looked ahead. Hitsugaya was inclined to answer for him, "You would have fought like before. Because you believed, because you knew yourself to be in the right." Green eyes stared down at him, unreadable. "Sorry." He finished faintly. The man placed a hand over the snowy locks and thought better of it. The hand slid down his back and Hitsugaya shivered, but not from the cold, never from the cold._

'_Not all fighting involves your fists.'_

"_I suppose you're going to tell me it's what's on the inside that counts?"_

'_Well... yeah? All of us fight to protect something. For me it was my division, my family, my honor. And you...' the man smiled and wrapped an arm around Hitsugaya's shoulders. The white-haired captain wiggled in irritation but did not seek to throw the arm off of his body. 'You need to lighten up a bit. Live a little... captain.'_

"_You of all people should know that it's too late for that."_

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Ichimaru dug in deeper and Hitsugaya's heartbeat slowed to their normal pace. A sigh blossomed out of his mouth as Gin stopped rummaging through his innards and began to pull his hand back out. '_Stop..._' the silver-haired man looked into the boy's eyes, an eerie grin fixed upon his face as the gloved arm was slowly exposed to the sunlight.

"So..." Ichimaru started conversationally. The brief pause was punctuated by a lengthy scream from a dying arrancar. "Ya awake now?" Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed and Gin's wrist slipped into view. "Good boy."

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Abarai Renji could hear the bells tolling. He couldn't honestly say that he was too broken up about it. Throwing Rangiku a discreet look sideways he determined that a. she wasn't talking and b. that meant she was really angry this time. Throwing his arms back ecstatically to cross them behind his head, he resisted the urge to whistle as he followed the buxom lieutenant of the tenth division down the street. Grass wilted beneath her shadow and people scattered left and right at her steady march. Life was sweet sometimes, especially when you were a friend of one Matsumoto Rangiku.

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The first intrusion by Ichimaru had been degrading but a necessary evil. This time it was unwarranted, unneeded, and vile. He could feel every single thing those long fingers did as they wove into his soul. Ripples upon ripples of sensations pulsed through his entire body and he gasped out loud when the leather-clad hand bumped against a particularly tender spot. When Gin had finally grasped something solid inside his soul, Hitsugaya kicked out instinctively and was rewarded with a knee in his stomach. He choked; his nerves screaming as he nearly bit his tongue in two at the sheer agony of the blow.

Abruptly, Gin withdrew his hands hissing as he tore his glove off. His hand was red and the knuckles were bleeding as he playfully blew down at them. Hitsugaya spat weakly at his feet and sat down on the pavement. The concrete wall was hot and grazed his face. He found that he no longer cared if there were any civilians within the vicinity. He just wanted to...

::Die::

He muttered thickly to himself trying to get up. Beside him, Gin had an unreadable expression on his face. A pale hand was reaching out to touch the teenager when the man's feet became frozen to the spot, literally. He could have sworn the young captain's eyes were glowing, brighter and stronger than ever before. He didn't have much time to ponder on the subject as Ichigo's next attack decapitated the remaining arrancar and flew in a contorted arch towards him. The black energy blast bounced off of Shinsou and dug into the ground throwing up dust. Gin's eyes were open as if silently regarding the two young shinigami in a way he hadn't before. Ichigo stood by Hitsugaya's side leaning heavily on Zangetsu. Gin commented softly,

"Dun' forget, ya ain't alone."

With a mocking salute, the crimson eyes became veiled once more and the former captain disappeared into thin air.

Hitsugaya collapsed.

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_Hitsugaya fell to his knees, eyes wide open as he stared petrified at the man before him. The other shinigami looked down at him, his black hair plastered to the side of his face and neck; his jaws oddly set as he swung his zanpakuto behind him and stuck the blades into the soft mud. Rain drops peppered them from the heavens accompanied by the quick flash of lightning that rumbled like a dragon's roar in the distance. They had to be quick, time was growing short and Hitsugaya had so much to learn._

'_Come on little Toushiro...' murmured the dark-haired death god as rainwater streaked down his hair. 'Surely my host isn't this weak as to lose to himself...' but they had been sparring nonstop over the span of time it had taken Captain Unohana to close up the young captain's wounds and transport him to the fourth division. They were tiring, both the memory and the soul._

_Hitsugaya shook and wiped his forehead. _

_Failure to reawaken Hyourinmaru not only meant a failure to himself and those around him, it also meant a certain death. A fate too late for the youngest captain of Gotei 13. Hitsugaya repeated it like a mantra in his head and braced himself. _

'_Show us that you are worthy; show us that you deserve the title of captain!' the man's wrist snapped forward and thrust where the teen had been just moments before. He stepped sideways as Hitsugaya appeared where the man had been standing mere seconds before. Smiling grimly, he snagged the younger shinigami's collar and pulled him to his stomach. The white-haired captain squawked indignantly and flipped onto his back. The man quickly kneeled and pinned the teen down in the mud with his knees as Hyourinmaru's empty blade slid askew against his upper arm. The dark-haired shinigami felt blood mingling with rain as it seeped into the bandaging around his left arm. Bit by bit, the threads in the red-and-white cloth gave away until the entire armband fell apart and landed by Hitsugaya's ear. The man laughed lightly, his zanpakuto diffusing his water-like reiatsu and slowly returning to its sealed form as it sunk into the yielding earth. 'First blood, I'm impressed. I guess I must be rustier than I thought.' He cocked his neck questioningly when the other didn't respond. 'Toushiro...?'_

_::Get away from him.::_

_A quick squeeze around the hilt of his zanpakuto revealed that it had reversed its sealing and was released once more, this time without his command. He stared down at his ward suddenly afraid of what he might find. Hitsugaya's face was lax and strangely calm but his eyes caught him, the familiar pools of oceanic green beckoned him. And he could not help but feel that his memories... his entire being had lied to him. _

_They were similar, essentially the same person, but they could not have been any more different. _

"_Why are you doing this?!" Hitsugaya shrieked, jumping forward and pinning the man against the ground. The other shinigami did little more than to stare back through his thick black lashes. And it was the understanding, the whole-hearted agreement in those green orbs that made the young captain break down. "Why?" Hitsugaya clawed at his face, his neck, any exposed flesh to be had. In moments, the bloody gouges were covered in a silver film then disappeared altogether. "Why? There is still time, I could have. I know I would have." Hitsugaya dragged himself off of the man, fingers digging into the sour earth. His body quivered once more then stilled. "You should have let me die..."_

_The man got up, mud clinging onto the back of his black kimono. A hand hovered over the muddy white hair, over the thin shoulders. Rain poured down, the sound maddening. It was terrifying. In that moment he realized reincarnation did not make a man out of his other. Fragments of memories from a distant past did not make a fighter out of the suddenly frail looking teen. At the end of the day, captain or not, Hitsugaya Toushiro was a child. No matter how much he had denied it, Hitsugaya Toushiro needed to be a child. _

_In a fit of deja vu the man pulled Hitsugaya into an embrace and held him close._

"_For you, for us. Because I was stupid and got myself killed and now you're involved. I have to get you out of this mess. You're not dead yet Hitsugaya, you're alive. God knows you shouldn't be here. But Hyourinmaru willing you will get through this."_

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"Well?" Aizen turned from window. More like a hole, Gin thought, a seemingly symmetrical hole in the wall, one of many looking over the walls of Las Noches. "Did you find it?" Gin grinned as Ulquiorra glided out of the shadows and bowed at the two shinigami. The arrancar whispered something quickly into the brunette former captain's ears and fixed the silver-haired man with an unreadable look.

Figuring that he had dragged it out long enough Gin answered,

"No."

Aizen smiled.

"Found somethin' interestin' though." Gin waved a hand lazily. His right hand was bandaged, flecked with spots of blood. The finger tips were pale, perhaps signs of poor circulation. Rummaging though the inner pockets of his outer robe, he held out a glove. It was wet with more than just the silver-haired man's blood. It was nearly torn in half at the knuckles suggesting that whatever had latched onto it didn't want to let go. Aizen carefully took the leathery material and turned it over in his hand. He raised an eyebrow –teeth marks, all very sharp.

"Well..." Aizen said finally, tossing the glove up lightly into the air and letting it burn. The ashes showered down on the dry stone before being blown out by the stagnant wind at the windows. For one moment Gin thought –Rangiku- and lowered his head. Aizen's mind seemed elsewhere, a rare moment of inattention in such a dangerous place. "It seems as though you are no longer alone Ulquiorra."

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"Kurosaki, what are you doing?"

The curt voice cut through the humid air.

"Shh!" Kurosaki Ichigo hissed holding his finger to his lip. Seconds trickled by as he kept a close watch on the steady pulse then he realized just who had spoken to him. With a surprised shout, the substitute shinigami jumped backwards as the other teen sat up.

Hitsugaya began to massage his aching temples, trying to locate which of the three Kurosaki was the real one. Deciding that it wasn't worth the trouble he tried to stand up and instantly regretted it. Ichigo immediately gripped the captain's shoulders as a hand shot out at the last minute to grab onto the wall. The enervated look on Hitsugaya's face was immediately replaced by a more common, irritable one as Ichigo let go and held his hand out in placating manner.

"What is this? Molest a captain day?"

"I was looking for a pulse." Ichigo finished lamely, lowering his hands.

"There are other ways to look for a pulse other than slamming your big head down on someone's chest."

"Yeah well you just collapsed ok?! What was I supposed to do?"

Letting out a lengthy, aggravated growl Hitsugaya barked,

"Report!"

Ichigo blinked.

Hitsugaya blushed.

The air became cooler by several degrees.

"Uhh, well, I took care of the arrancar but Ichimaru got away." Hitsugaya snorted at the memory of the silver-haired man. Ichigo peered into the young captain's face curiously. He was instantly waved off for the effort. "What's with you and sir creepy anyways?"

"Not of your concern."

Ichigo rolled his eyes

"Come on, I just saved your ass." A mortified look struck Hitsugaya. Then he realized that Ichigo couldn't have possibly known how close he had come to an answer. "oy Toushiro?"

"Shut up Kurosaki."

-

-

Having spent the rest of the way in silence, the two shinigami were unprepared for the cacophony that filled their ears as soon as they put a foot into Urahara Shouten. There were metallic rings that sounded suspiciously like pots being thrown on the ground mixed in with worried shouts and cheers as one of those said pots seemingly it its mark.

Sure enough there was a yelp and an 'oww,' followed by a string of words attempting to calm someone.

Curious, Ichigo craned his head and peeked around the corner. He was drawn backwards as Hitsugaya tugged him down and held a hand over the blonde's mouth. There was a hiss indicating that he be quiet and silence as the white-haired shinigami listened in on the conversation.

"Ran!" a surprised yelp from Abarai Renji, the duo from the eleventh division was strangely absent. Rukia made a dry comment of how the blonde shopkeeper had deserved the blow.

"You were a captain once," Matsumoto spat angrily as she resisted the urge to stuff her pumps down the outcast's throat. "How could you not notice...!"

The speed in which Hitsugaya had left Ichigo astounded him. The strawberry-blonde flailed his arms in midair before losing his battle with gravity and crashed against the wall. Everyone jumped at the dull thud and Matsumoto looked around guiltily as Hitsugaya entered the room, his face drawn in an odd grimace.

"Matsumoto..." his voice was tired, not even angry, devoid of the usual patronizing tone present when dealing with the buxom lieutenant. The lieutenant of the tenth division dropped down to her knees, somehow avoiding flashing the room's inhabitants with amazing skill. "Enough." He then turned towards Urahara, who by then had sufficiently recovered from the other blonde's assault and was happily fanning himself while massaging the impressive bump on his head. Hitsugaya's lips quirked slightly when he saw the dented tea kettle on the floor. "I apologize; I see that my lieutenant is still upset from the events of last night." Matsumoto flinched at the cool tone. Hitsugaya gave Urahara a curt bow. The blonde man hid a smile by tugging his hat forward to hide his face. Suppressing an urge to shudder Hitsugaya turned towards the door and murmured softly, "come Matsumoto." The blonde stood, a disapproving look on her face as she gave the blonde salesman a wilting glare.

Moments after their departure Ichigo spoke up from the hallway,

"What was that about?"


	14. Scene 14

**A.C.:** Happy birthday Hitsugaya-!

**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be here if I did

**Warnings:** possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.

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"What happened?" 

Urahara wore a secretive smile as he tapped his striped, bucket hat twice with his cane.

"...That... is not my story to tell."

-

-

Haineko spewed out worlds of ashes but Rangiku herself was a creature of fire, her hair like the color of the sun as she waited for her captain under the dappled shaded of a tree.

Hitsugaya brought two ice cones in his hand, one covered in cherry-red syrup and another colored in deep green. Matsumoto took the green colored ice cone and sank her teeth into the icy treat. Hitsugaya rolled the paper cone between his hands as he quietly scrutinized the cheery red coloring. The blonde had an idea that he had bought it more for her benefit than his. Though the day was hot and the ice cone not as sugary as some of the sweets the vendor was selling, the prodigy had yet to touch his and let the ice melt into an unflattering pool of faded red.

"Your cone is melting," Matsumoto offered and Hitsugaya quietly sipped the edge, draining it of excess liquid.

"Remember," the shape of her captain's mouth changed slowly almost as if they weren't moving at all. She fixated herself on his cherry colored lips because she could not bear to stare into his cool, green eyes. "When I asked about how you died a long time ago..."

Matsumoto tensed, she swallowed the remains of her melting snow cone

"Yes"

"Once upon a time I was a human being and I still am. I'm not dead exactly, at least... not yet."

-

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After he had shooed the others from his shop, Urahara made his way down to the training grounds in the basement. He closed the door, making sure that it was locked up tight enough that neither Renji nor Chad would be able to break in thinking of extra training. Well technically he was throwing the redhead lieutenant a day off; he'd have to do something to make up for it. But until then, he thought as he locked the door, he had bigger fish to fry.

Benihime's curved blade clashed sharply against Shinsou's lengthy form. The female zanpakuto glowed an ethereal shade of red as the other's emitted irregular bluish-white glow. Urahara tipped his bucket hat to his challenger,

"Ichimaru."

"Urahara." The pale haired man conceded with a grin.

"And what might bring a former _captain _and traitor to a lowly salesman."

Gin shrugged before pushing Shinsou off Benihime and sheathing it. Urahara jumped back, raising an eyebrow.

"Thought ya might be interested in the chibi-taichou."

With a small pop Benihime turned back into a cane.

"Why would you say that?"

"Know ya've been watching da Soul Society of late, they're getting desperate ya know. Even to the point of seekin' allegiance with da vizards."

"I fail to see the connection you have with Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Ya'd be surprised."

"And if you're lying?"

"Would I lie?"

The word 'yes' was on the tip of his tongue as the other man blithely continued, "'s one-use only but ya might be worth it." In his lands laid a perfectly formed black butterfly. Its antennas twitched against the unnatural air currents within the chamber and fluttered its wings as Gin cast it gently in mid air. It floated lazily, showing off the rough-heart like shape on its secondary wings as the familiar voice of Captain Yamamoto flowed out from the spiritually crafted creature.

-

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"I don't really remember how I passed from the material world into the Soul Society without losing limbs. I guess I have Hyourinmaru to thank for that though it might have been better if he had just let me die."

The buxom lieutenant grew angry at the careless manner in which her captain spoke of his death then relaxed, puzzled at the conundrum. Was he technically alive or dead? If he had died, would he have been the same Hitsugaya-taichou she knew? If he had died... technically was reborn... he would have been a shinigami... which he _was_ right now... wasn't he?

Now she was getting a headache.

Hitsugaya dragged in a deep breath. Matsumoto spun a small cat-faced dispenser case in between her fingers as the newcomer stared at them. All around them spiritual particles were glowing, some lights were glowing bright, and others were dimming and fast.

Aizen Sousuke had made his next move.

-

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Shihouin Yoruichi had learned to expect a lot of things from the blonde salesman as she sojourned from the Soul Society and back. Sometimes they were understandable, other times plain embarrassing; this time it was... well how do you describe a scene in which a well-known traitor conversed with your best friend over tea?

Though fairly liberal since her self-imposed exile from the Soul Society, there were things even she put a furry paw down on. And so she adopted her protégé's well honed method of kill first, ask questions later as she tied a ribbon around the pale-haired man's neck and pulled.

With a strangled squeak Gin was pulled back, a cocoa-skinned woman straddling his waist as she twisted the ribbons around her wrists. Just barely catching himself from falling over, the pale-haired man's hands jumped automatically towards the material around his neck. Grimacing at the man's tenacity, Yoruichi was about to perform a quick kidou spell when her longtime best friend pulled a binding spell over the two struggling shinigami.

"Stop!"

Yoruichi threw the blonde a disgruntled look at the sudden interruption.

"Saa" Ichimaru managed, wheezing through the noble's chokehold. "Not that 'm complainin' or anythin' but I ain't aimin' to fight a naked woman." The cocoa-skinned woman unintentionally tightened her legs around his waist. The man jumped a little beneath her lithe body. Though never the one for modesty, she saw his point and transformed back into a cat. Taking a deep breath she asked as calmly as possible

"What is going on?" Gin jumped a little at the unusually masculine voice coming from the feline. Yoruichi took a pleasure in the unintentional flinch and turned her attention back to the blonde.

"Ichimaru... came to me offering some information."

"He's a traitor, not to be trusted. We should just turn him in now."

"I think he's telling the truth." Urahara said simply as he poured the amber-eyed woman a cup of tea.

"What makes you so sure?"

"He had a hell butterfly in his possession," the blonde smiled "it was the old man."

Yoruichi sighed. Urahara had the familiar spark in his eyes again. She settled herself around the lanky shinigami's shoulders, making sure to brush her thin tail against his closed eyes.

"One wrong move and you're going to wish that you stayed in Hueco Mundo."

"Think I liked ya better when you were naked." Ichimaru chirped unhelpfully. Urahara too nodded in agreement before coughing surreptitiously; looking at the package Yoruichi had dropped.

"So this is what Byakuya-kun called you out for."

She flattened her ears against her skull

"How'd you know that?"

"Trade secrets my love." He examined the stark Shihouin emblem on the corner of the envelope before tearing the top open. Slowly, enough that Yoruichi was considering pounding on his face, he extracted the contents and presented them to the rest.

"This is..."

Gin suddenly jerked his head up and squinted into the air. He rubbed his neck absentmindedly, the side where the Shihouin noble wasn't breathing down upon. The shinigami-turned-cat felt the burn of energy not quite reiatsu but not quite anything she was familiar with rub against her silky fur as he moved.

"Uru-chan didn' wait for me after all."

-

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"Your friends are otherwise occupied right now." Ulquiorra said mechanically as he descended from the air. The two tenth division officers tensed at his arrival, eyes darting left and right towards unseen enemies.

Hitsugaya swallowed a hard, round candy and burst from his body. Immediately, both the soul and its bodily double fell to their knees in pain. Matsumoto's gigai carried the body off to safety while she administered the pain-relieving drug on her captain.

Ulquiorra took all this in calmly as he observed them from his lofty perch in midair. Even when Hitsugaya unleashed his frozen bankai, the arrancar stood with a supercilious expression, simply taking time to brush off the ice over his darkly lined eyelashes.

"Growl Haineko."

Matsumoto's zanpakuto disintegrated into an ash-colored phantom. She commanded it to immobilize the dark-haired arrancar as Hitsugaya tackled him head on; his aura pulsing to accommodate hers as Ulquiorra finally raised a hand to defend himself.

Haineko's swirling claws touched the arrancar's neck but retreated once it felt the pale skin. Matsumoto appeared, her katana against Ulquiorra's lower jaw. Hitsugaya pushed the arrancar's arm away and swung Hyourinmaru back to strike against his opponent's face. The green-eyed arrancar disappeared and a wide eyed Matsumoto stood in his place, only her incredible speed and Hitsugaya's timely reflex saved her from being skewered by the ice elemental. They stared at each other incredulously. Matsumoto opened her mouth and flung her arms around the boy captain's neck. She rolled him over to the side just in time as a cero blast plowed into her spine, sending them into the ground below. They stopped at the foot of a tree, the patches of grass torn up before them. Hitsugaya swore out loud before looking to see if his lieutenant was alright. What he saw then would continuously haunt him for the rest of his life.

Blood had stained his haori into a nightmarish shade. Matsumoto lay crumpled on his lap, her forehead just inches over her ground as her gold and red hair spilled over his thighs. Her eyes were glassy as she took in Hitsugaya's stunned face. Then she smiled in relief before closing her eyes.

Hitsugaya held a trembling hand to the small of her back, trying hard not to flinch as he felt the open flesh and broken bones. Ice climbed up from his fingers, a gentle, torturing contrast to the battle cries he had so frequently uttered of late. They washed over her back and smoothed out the patches of torn muscle and nerves in an attempt to stem the flow of blood. She shivered when he lifted her slightly to lay her down flat on her stomach. He stood up, seemingly lost in the scent of metal and ashes.

'_Hyourinmaru...' the shinigami inhaled, 'the chains.'_

_The dragon flicked the end of his tail. Sure enough the crystal chains that had once encircled his body were breaking and scattered over his scaled back. He looked disturbed as he drew a translucent claw against his frozen torso. _

_::You're not ready...::_

Hitsugaya's breathing came in short, quick bursts. His hand shook, almost dropping Hyourinmaru if it hadn't been frozen onto his skin. The frost encircled his chin, glided over his face and hid his eyes almost like a Hollow's masks. And yet even without holes he could see through the transparent glass, he could see the crystal clear form of the creature that had nearly destroyed his lieutenant.

::Toushiro calm down!:: the dragon's mind surged against his own and the teen viciously clamped over it, taking vindictive pleasure in stabbing through both Hyourinmaru and Ulquiorra's defenses as the ice-coated zanpakuto passed through the arrancar's ribs.

Ulquiorra unsheathed his zanpakuto and scored it against Hitsugaya's chest. The piece of frozen armory fell away as a new one grew to take its place. With a roar, Hitsugaya lashed out, uncaring of the weapon he carried in his hand and striking with his claws and tail instead.

Ulquiorra raised his arms and zanpakuto in a defensive position, waiting out until the blows slowed and the young captain tired. Hitsugaya never let up. With each blow the arrancar faltered until one particularly hard strike, the white clothed arms were thrown off completely, his green-lined face bared in air.

With a feral snarl, the white-haired captain stabbed forward. Hyourinmaru scratched the horn of the Hollow armor on the arrancar's head. Green met green as Ulquiorra's zanpakuto was sheathed with a small click. The arrancar disappeared only to reappear behind the young captain. Hitsugaya bit back a short scream as Ulquiorra's hand slammed against his lower back. His tail grew in length as it fended off the arrancar's swift blows. It whipped out and struck Ulquiorra across his cheeks as the arrancar grabbed the end of one wing and crushed it with a cero blast.

A crack started from the broken end stretching towards the shoulder end. His tail struck once more as he created distance between himself and the arrancar. The dark-haired arrancar lowered his arms as he scrutinized the bony spines protruding from where Hitsugaya's left wing should have been.

Hitsugaya landed on the ground, his chest heaving as the other wing melted away into a similar row of ivory spikes.

"Aizen-sama would be pleased to see you once more." Ulquiorra murmured softly as he landed. "It would prove that he was right and Soul Society has indeed grown desperate."

"What would an arrancar... know of such things..."

A shadow passed over Hitsugaya's eyes, darkening the whites but never once touching the oceanic green.

Ulquiorra's own green eyes flickered as the arrancar pursed his lips, tempted to tell.

Ice wound past their ankles but Ulquiorra broke free of them easily, surprising both Hitsugaya and the spirits within. Ulquiorra caught the young captain's neck in a stranglehold and slammed the teen into the dirt. Hitsugaya's head struck the ground with a crack and he lay dazed as his cheeks were scraped open against the gravel. Ulquiorra loomed over him eyes shimmering in the shadows, a shade _almost_ identical to Hitsugaya's own.

Hitsugaya stuck a tongue out and brushed it against his cracked lips.

'You...'

"I know more than you think... former Lieutenant Shiba Kaien."

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**A.C.:** yeah I know, Kurosaki Ichigo looks an awful lot like the deceased lieutenant of the thirteenth division. However, I seem to remember on occasions Byakuya denied the connection between the two and I figure since they were from two of Seireitei's four noble families, they (Shiba and Kuchiki) must have known each other... pretty well probably. So uhh yeah. I know Hitsugaya being Shiba Kaien doesn't make that much of a sense either but –scratches head- I noticed that the Shiba family is the only ones (with the exception of Kurosaki Nemu) with green eyes besides Hitsugaya. People have drawn connections between Shiro-chan and Ukitake Jyuushiro before so why not Hitsugaya and Shiba Kaien? 

-Coughs- Please keep in mind that this is a fan fiction and you may leave the logistics of this argument in your reviews.


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